The following lists events that happened during 2018 in New Zealand.
Population Estimated population as of 31 December 2018 – 4,886,100 Increase since 31 December 2017 – 80,700 (1.68%) Males per 100 females – 96.8
Incumbents
Regal and vice-regal Head of State – Elizabeth II Governor-General – Patsy Reddy
Government 2018 is the first full year of the 52nd Parliament, which first sat on 7 November 2017.
The Sixth Labour Government, elected in 2017, continues.
Speaker of the House – Trevor Mallard Prime Minister – Jacinda Ardern Deputy Prime Minister – Winston Peters Leader of the House – Chris Hipkins Minister of Finance – Grant Robertson Minister of Foreign Affairs – Winston Peters
Other party leaders in parliament National – Bill English until 27 February, then Simon Bridges (Leader of the Opposition) New Zealand First – Winston Peters Green – James Shaw and, from 8 April, Marama Davidson ACT New Zealand – David Seymour
Judiciary Chief Justice – Sian Elias President of the Court of Appeal – Stephen Kós Chief High Court judge – Geoffrey Venning Chief District Court judge – Jan-Marie Doogue
Main centre leaders Mayor of Auckland – Phil Goff Mayor of Tauranga – Greg Brownless Mayor of Hamilton – Andrew King Mayor of Wellington – Justin Lester Mayor of Christchurch – Lianne Dalziel Mayor of Dunedin – Dave Cull
Events
January
31 January – Christchurch's Re:START container mall closes.
February 3 February – Murder of Amber-Rose Rush, a Dunedin teenager. A doctor named Venod Skantha is charged with her murder.
March 6 March – The 2018 New Zealand census is held.
April 12 April - The New Zealand Government announces it will ban future offshore oil and gas exploration in New Zealand.
May 2 May – Australian-based video rental chain Video Ezy pulls out of New Zealand, citing competition from online streaming services and video piracy. 11 May – A wave of about height, the highest ever recorded, is observed near Campbell Island south of New Zealand; the previous record wave in 2012 was about . 17 May – The 2018 New Zealand budget is presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson. 19 May – A yellow bow is placed on the Big Lemon & Paeroa bottle to celebrate its 50th birthday. 29 May – A state of emergency is declared in Ngongotaha and Rotorua District due to extreme weather and flooding.
June 4 June – The 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours are announced. 9 June – The Northcote by-election is won by National, who retain the seat.
July 3 July – The primary teachers' union New Zealand Educational Institute announces strike action on 15 August after the Ministry of Education rejected their demand for a 16% pay rise. 9 July – 4,000 Inland Revenue and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) workers go on strike for two hours demanding higher salaries. 12 July – 30,000 nurses went on strike for 24 hours after the New Zealand Nurses Organisation rejected the government's offer of a 12.5% pay rise.
August 7 August – Nurses accepted a pay offer from district health boards including pay rights and a commitment to pay equity by the end of next year. 15 August – Parliament passes the Overseas Investment Amendment Act 2018, which bans the sale of existing homes to most non-resident foreigners
October
30 October – Parliament is suspended after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes south-west of Taumarunui.
December 1 or 2 December – Murder of Grace Millane, a British tourist. A 26-year-old man is charged with her murder on 8 December. 31 December – The 2019 New Year Honours are announced.
Sports
Commonwealth Games
New Zealand sends a team of 253 competitors in 17 sports. {| class="wikitable" |- ! !! !! !! Total |- style="text-align:center;" | 15 || 16 || 15 || 46
Olympic Games
New Zealand sends a team of 21 competitors in five sports. {| class="wikitable" |- ! !! !! !! Total |- style="text-align:center;" | 0 || 0 || 2 || 2
Paralympic Games
New Zealand sends a team of three competitors in two sports. {| class="wikitable" |- ! !! !! !! Total |- style="text-align:center;" | 1 || 0 || 2 || 3
Sailing 24 February – 18 March: Auckland is a stopover on the 2017–18 Volvo Ocean Race
Shooting Ballinger Belt – John Snowden (Ashburton)
Youth Olympics
New Zealand sends a team of 61 competitors. {| class="wikitable" |- ! !! !! !! Total |- style="text-align:center;" | 3 || 1 || 0 || 4
Births 10 November – Asterix, Thoroughbred racehorse
Deaths
January 4 January Owen Hardy, World War II fighter pilot (born 1922). Gail McIntosh, politician, MP for Lyttelton (1990–1993), Tauranga City Councillor (since 2013) (born 1955). 5 January Barry Thomas, rugby union player (Auckland, Wellington, national team) (born 1937). Peter Wells, Olympic (1952, 1956) and British Empire and Commonwealth Games (1950, 1954) high jumper (born 1929). 7 January Jim Anderton, politician, MP for Sydenham (1984–1996) and Wigram (1996–2011), Labour Party president (1979–1984), NewLabour Party leader (1989–2000), Alliance leader (1991–1994, 1995–2002), Progressive Party leader (2002–2012), Deputy Prime Minister (1999–2002) (born 1938). Buster Stiggs, musician (Suburban Reptiles, The Swingers, Models) (born 1954). 12 January – Richard Peterson, British Commonwealth Games fencer (1966, 1970), lawyer and sports administrator (born 1940). 17 January – Ted McCoy, architect (Otago Boys' High School redevelopment, Aquinas Hall, University College), president of the New Zealand Institute of Architects (1979–1980), NZIA Gold Medal (2002) (born 1925). 21 January – Michael Selby, geomorphologist (University of Waikato) (born 1936). 22 January Jack Doms, swimmer, British Empire and Commonwealth Games champion and silver medallist (1954) (born 1927). Kevin Tate, soil chemist and climate scientist (Soil Bureau, Landcare Research), Marsden Medal (2005), Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (since 1995) (born 1943). 25 January – Graham Williams, rugby union player (Wellington, national team) (born 1945). 27 January – Grant Fell, musician (Headless Chickens) (born ). 31 January – Pat Booth, journalist (Auckland Star, North & South), editor (Zealandia), writer, and local-body politician, Far North District Councillor (2001–2003), Waitakere City Councillor (2004–2006) (born 1929). Late January – Nigel the gannet of Mana Island.
February 3 February – Ted Corbett, organic chemist (University of Otago), Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (since 1972) (born 1923). 6 February – Thomas, goose in Waikanae. 8 February – Gary Seear, rugby union player (Otago, national team) (born 1952). 10 February – Bevan Congdon, cricketer (Central Districts, Canterbury, national team) (born 1938). 11 February – Darien Boswell, Olympic rower (1964), British Empire and Commonwealth Games silver medallist (1962) (born 1938). 21 February – Beryl Fletcher, feminist novelist, Commonwealth Writers' Prize (South East Asia and South Pacific region) for best first book (1992) (born 1938). 25 February – Noel Scott, school teacher and politician, principal of Makoura College (1968–1975), MP for Tongariro (1984–1990), Minister for Sport and Recreation (1990) (born 1929). 27 February – Keith Murdoch, rugby union player (Otago, Hawke's Bay, national team) (born 1943).
March 2 March – Gordon Challis, poet (born 1932). 9 March – Robin Archer, rugby union player (Otago, Southland, national team) and coach (Southland) (born 1930). 11 March – Paddy Donovan, Olympic boxer (1956, 1964) and British Empire and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist (1958, 1962), rugby union player (Hawke's Bay) (born 1936). 14 March Peter Entwisle, art historian and curator (Dunedin Public Art Gallery), writer, and heritage advocate (born 1948). Mac McCallion, rugby union player (Counties, New Zealand Māori) and coach (Counties Manukau, Fiji) (born 1950). 20 March – Dylan Mika, rugby union player (Auckland, Blues, Samoa, national team) (born 1972). 28 March – Norm Wilson, cricketer (Northern Districts, Northland) and cricket administrator, groundsman (Cobham Oval) (born 1931).
April 6 April – Colin McLeod, civil engineer, Commissioner of Works (1973–1981) (born 1921). 10 April – Fergie McCormick, rugby union player (Canterbury, national team) (born 1939). 11 April – Robert Matthews, Hall of Fame athlete, octuple Paralympic champion (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000) (born 1961). 16 April – Ivan Mauger, Hall of Fame motorcycle speedway rider, speedway world champion (1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1979), long-track world champion (1971, 1972, 1976), New Zealand Sportsman of the Year (1977, 1979) (born 1939). 23 April – Haddon Donald, soldier (2NZEF) and politician, MP for Wairarapa (1963–1969) (born 1917). 24 April – Arthur Eustace, athlete, athletics coach and administrator, British Empire Games bronze medallist (1950), New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association president (1984–1985), patron of Athletics New Zealand (since 2009), Halberg lifetime achievement award (2012) (born 1926). 25 April – Margo Buchanan-Oliver, marketing academic (University of Auckland) (born 1952). 26 April – David Mitchell, architect (Tauranga Art Gallery, Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery), writer and television presenter, NZIA Gold Medal (2005) (born 1941).
May 2 May – Katherine O'Regan, politician, Waipa County Councillor (1977–1985), MP for Waipa (1984–1996), National list MP (1996–1999), Minister of Consumer Affairs (1990–1996) (born 1946). 4 May – Tony Steel, rugby union player (Canterbury, national team), sprinter, educator and politician, headmaster of Hamilton Boys' High School (1979–1990), MP for Hamilton East (1990–1993, 1996–2002) (born 1941). 9 May Norma, Lady Beattie – viceregal consort (1980–1985) (born 1925). Carl Perkins, musician (House of Shem) (born ). 15 May – Hopeful Christian, founder of Gloriavale Christian Community (born 1926). 16 May – Tom Hadfield, rugby league player (Auckland, national team) (born 1934). 19 May – John Moorfield, Māori language academic (University of Waikato, University of Otago, Auckland University of Technology) (born 1943). 28 May – Dick Quax, Hall of Fame athlete and politician, Olympic silver medallist (1976), British Commonwealth Games silver medallist (1970), 5000 metres world record holder (1977–1978), Manukau City Councillor (2001–2007), Auckland Councillor (since 2011) (born 1948).
June 4 June – J. B. Munro, politician and disability advocate, MP for Invercargill (1972–1975), Invercargill City Councillor (1971–1974, 1976–1977), national secretary / chief executive of IHC New Zealand (1977–1998) (born 1936). 7 June – Sir Neil Waters, inorganic chemist (University of Auckland) and academic administrator, vice-chancellor of Massey University (1983–1995), chair of the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (1995–1998), chair of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (1995–1999), Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (since 1992) (born 1931). 13 June – Milan Mrkusich, artist and designer, Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon (since 2003) (born 1925). 14 June Vincent Gray, entertainer (The Alberts), physical chemist and climate-change denier, director of the Building Research Association of New Zealand (1970–1973) (born 1922). Steve Kuzmicich, statistician, Government Statistician (1984–1991) (born 1931). 18 June – Graham Davy, athlete, sports administrator, president of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association (1976–1977), 1990 Commonwealth Games director of athletics (born 1936). 23 June – Koro Wētere, politician, MP for Western Maori (1969–1996), Minister of Maori Affairs (1984–1990) (born 1935). 30 June – Mark Irwin, rugby union player (Otago, Bay of Plenty, national team) (born 1935).
July 1 July – Merv Richards, pole vaulter, British Empire and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist (1958), gymnastics coach (Rowena Davis, Deborah Hurst), pole vault coach, and lapidarist (born 1930).