# 2025 in New Zealand

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive
The following lists events that have happened or are expected to happen during 2025 in New Zealand.

## Incumbents

* Regal and vice-regal
* Government
* Other party leaders in parliament
* Judiciary
* Main centre leaders

### Regal and vice-regal

* Head of state – Charles III
* Governor-General – Cindy Kiro
* Charles III
* Cindy Kiro

### Government

Legislature term: 54th New Zealand Parliament.
The Sixth National Government, elected in 2023, continues.
* Speaker of the House – Gerry Brownlee
* Prime Minister – Christopher Luxon
* Deputy Prime Minister – Winston Peters
* Leader of the House – Chris Bishop
* Minister of Finance – Nicola Willis
* Minister of Foreign Affairs – Winston Peters
* Gerry Brownlee
* Christopher Luxon
* Winston Peters
* Chris Bishop
* Nicola Willis

### Other party leaders in parliament

* Labour – Chris Hipkins (Leader of the Opposition)
* Green – Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick
* ACT – David Seymour
* NZ First – Winston Peters
* Te Pāti Māori – Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
* Chris Hipkins
* Marama Davidson
* Chlöe Swarbrick
* David Seymour
* Winston Peters
* Rawiri Waititi
* Debbie Ngarewa‑Packer

### Judiciary

* Chief Justice – Helen Winkelmann
* President of the Court of Appeal – Christine French
* Chief High Court judge – Sally Fitzgerald
* Chief District Court judge – Heemi Taumaunu
* Helen Winkelmann
* Christine French

### Main centre leaders

* Mayor of Auckland – Wayne Brown
* Mayor of Tauranga – Mahé Drysdale
* Mayor of Hamilton – Paula Southgate
* Mayor of Wellington – Tory Whanau
* Mayor of Christchurch – Phil Mauger
* Mayor of Dunedin – Jules Radich
* Wayne Brown
* Mahé Drysdale
* Paula Southgate
* Tory Whanau
* Phil Mauger
* Jules Radich

## Events

* January
* February
* March
* April
* May
* June
* July
* August
* September
* October
* November
* December

### January

* 1 January – A driver runs over two police officers on a foot patrol in Nelson, killing one and injuring the other. A 32-year-old man is arrested.
* 3 January:
** A 32-year old man is charged with the murder of Nelson police officer Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming.
** Biosecurity New Zealand launches a major biosecurity operation after an oriental fruit fly is detected in South Auckland.
** Thousands attend a vigil in Nelson for slain police officer Lyn Fleming.
** Air New Zealand flight NZ677 from Auckland to Dunedin is cancelled due to a phone threat, affecting 170 passengers.
* 4 January – Interislander and Bluebridge cancel a total of seven ferry crossings in response to rough weather conditions in the Cook Strait.
* 5 January – Interislander and Bluebridge cancel five ferry crossings in response to continuing rough weather in the Cook Strait.
* 6 January:
** The Desert Road closes for two months of repairs.
** Interislander and Bluebridge suspend ferry crossings due to rough weather in the Cook Strait.
* 8 January – Over 2,070 customers in the Kaipara District experience internet outages after a digger damages the main fibre optic cable between Whangārei and Dargaville.
* 9 January:
** In response to significant public interest, New Zealand Parliament's justice select committee extends the submission deadline for the Treaty Principles Bill to 1pm on 14 January.
** A fire engulfs 20 hectares (49 acres) of scrubland in Whangārei, leading to the evacuation of two houses.
* 11 January – A scrub fire breaks out in Kūaotunu in the Coromandel Peninsula, consuming 36 hectares (89 acres) by the following day.
* 12 January – Mayor of Hamilton Paula Southgate announces that she would not be running for a third term during the 2025 New Zealand local elections.
* 13 January:
** New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates sign a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, cutting tariffs on 98.5% of New Zealand exports to that country.
* 14 January – Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming is suspended from duties due to a criminal investigation by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and the New Zealand Police.
* 16 January:
** Hundreds including Police Commissioner Richard Chambers attend the funeral of slain Nelson Police officer Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming.
** Health New Zealand confirms a baby who died in November 2024 as the first death caused by whooping cough since a whooping cough epidemic was declared on 22 November 2024.
* 17 January – Minister of Māori Development Tama Potaka announces an overhaul of the Waitangi Tribunal's membership.
* 18 January:
** A pod of about 30 whales are stranded near Pakawau in Golden Bay / Mohua, prompting a response from local iwi, the Department of Conservation(DOC) and Project Jonah.
** A juvenile beaked whale is stranded and refloated at New Brighton, Christchurch.
* 19 January:
** Prime Minister Christopher Luxon implements a cabinet reshuffle, resulting in the replacement of Shane Reti as health minister by Simeon Brown, and the promotion of James Meager to the new position of Minister for the South Island.
** Three whales die after the pod of about 30 whales re-stranded at Pūponga Beach in Golden Bay despite efforts to refloat them.
* 20 January – A second pod of about 11 whales is stranded near Taupata Point in the Golden Bay.
* 21 January – DOC staff and volunteers succeed in refloating the initial pod of 30 whales and ten whales from the second pod. One of the whales from the second pod dies.
* 22 January:
** Ten whales are re-stranded in Golden Bay, prompting a response from DOC and volunteers.
** The Body Shop NZ goes into voluntary administration.
** Media company NZME announces plans to cut 14 reporting and 24 production jobs as part of a restructuring process.
* 23 January:
** DOC staff, Project Jonah and community volunteers succeed in refloating the ten stranded whales in Golden Bay.
** Prime Minister Luxon gives his State of the Nation address. He announces that the existing Crown Research Institutes will be merged into three new public research organisations and that the Government will establish a new foreign investment agency.
* 25 January – A tornado and severe storm hits Mangawhai and surrounding areas, causing two serious injuries, damage to about 50 properties and power outages affecting 4,700 homes.
* 27 January:
** In order to attract digital nomads, a 'digital nomad' visa is announced to allow non-residents to work in New Zealand for up to nine months, given they work entirely remotely for a non-New Zealand company. The work will be untaxed for up to 90 days.
** An outbreak of avian botulism leads to the deaths of about 1,000 birds at the Waikouaiti wastewater treatment plant near Dunedin and the Washdyke Lagoon near Timaru.
** 27 January – New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters' suspends New Zealand's aid programme to Kiribati after Kiribati President Taneti Maamau cancelled three pre-arranged meetings including one scheduled for mid January 2025. The New Zealand Government had wanted to discuss how NZ$102 million worth of aid money allocated to Kiribati between 2021 and 2024 was being spent.
* 29 January:
** Prime Minister Luxon and Transport Minister Chris Bishop announces plans by the Government to reverse blanket speed limits on 38 sections of the New Zealand state highway network and seek public consultation on raising the speed limits for another 49 state highway sections.
** Advocacy group Toitū te Tiriti files an urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim against proposed Regulatory Standards Bill, claiming it would undermine the Treaty of Waitangi.
* 30 January – Mount Taranaki is officially recognised as a person under the name Taranaki Maunga.
* 31 January:
** Health Minister Simeon Brown confirms that a new Dunedin Hospital will be built on the site of the former Cadbury factory at a cost of NZ$1.9 billion.
** A power outage affects 22,000 Transpower customers in Rotorua.
** The Royal New Zealand Air Force formally retires its fleet of five C-130H Hercules planes.
** Save the Children New Zealand launches a 'Boot the Bill' campaign to oppose the Government's proposed legislation establishing youth offender boot camps.

### February

* 2 February – Auckland Transport raises fares on buses, trains and ferries by 5.2% and ends the 10% off-peak discount.
* 4 February – 900 private sector laboratory workers strike to protest poor conditions and a lack of pay parity with their public sector counterparts.
* 5 February:
** The New Zealand Government confirms it will invest between NZ$100–150 million in upgrading State Highway 76 in Christchurch.
** It is announced that New Zealand's unemployment rate reaches 5.1%, the highest level since September 2020.
** Several Māori leaders and attendees protest against several government ministers including David Seymour, Paul Goldsmith and Shane Jones during a pōwhiri leading up to Waitangi Day. Seymour's speech is disrupted while Jones threatens to cut government funding to the Waitangi National Trust.
* 6 February:
** Prime Minister Christopher Luxon attends Waitangi Day celebrations at Ngāi Tahu's Ōnuku marae in Akaroa.
** The town hall in Roxburgh, Otago, which included the country's longest-running cinema, is destroyed by fire.
** The former building for New Zealand's sole Jewish school "Kadimah School" is vandalised with antisemitic graffiti referencing the Gaza war.
* 7 February:
** Health New Zealand chief executive Margie Apa resigns four months before the end of her contract.
** Taupō experiences heavy showers and thunderstorms, resulting in surface flooding and power outages.
* 9 February – The New Zealand Government announces plans to revise the Active Investor Plus visa to attract more wealthy investors.
* 10 February:
** Driven by "pollution, degraded waterways, and over-allocation of water", Ngāi Tahu begins proceedings in the High Court against the Crown. The tribe argues that it has never lost rangatiratanga (sovereignty, or the right to exercise authority) over freshwater, but control has been encumbered by the Crown. The Crown's argument is that it has the right to control freshwater through the Resource Management Act 1991 and other acts. The lawsuit has been given the name "Tau v AG", with historian Te Maire Tau as the lead plaintiff, and the Attorney-General (currently Judith Collins) representing the Crown.
** ACT leader David Seymour drives a Land Rover up the New Zealand Parliament's steps as part of a fundraiser for a heart valve development programme at the University of Auckland.
** The Director of the Public Health Agency Nicholas Jones resigns.
* 11 February – The Australian company Millari Group announces plans to acquire and reopen Juken's former Gisborne saw mill, which closed in late 2023.
* 12 February:
** The Whangārei District Council led by Mayor Vince Cocurullo reiterates its refusal to comply with an order by Director-General of Health Diana Sarfati to fluoridate its water supply.
** The Salvation Army releases its annual State of the Nation report, which identifies food insecurity, unaffordable housing and domestic violence against children as major issues facing New Zealand in 2025. The report also finds over 400,000 New Zealanders receiving welfare.
** McDonald's New Zealand is denied resource consent to build a restaurant in Wānaka due to strong local opposition.
* 13 February:
** The Public Service Association challenges Health New Zealand's proposed digital and IT job cuts, claiming they breached employment law.
** Crown Research Institute Callaghan Innovation proposes slashing 63 jobs in response to Government plans to disestablish the organisation.
* 14 February – Director-General of Health Diana Sarfati resigns.
* 15 February:
** A bush fire in North Canterbury causes a section of State Highway 7 to close and several homes to evacuate.
** Members of Destiny Church's "Man Up" group disrupt a "Pride and Rainbow" event at Te Atatū's library. The church's actions were condemned by Prime Minister Luxon, Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown, Acting Waitematā District Commander Inspector Simon Walker and Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
** Foreign Minister Winston Peters announces that New Zealand will be considering the newly ratified Chinese–Cook Islands strategic partnership agreement in light of its national interests and constitutional relationship with the Cook Islands.
* 17 February:
** The New Zealand Police launch an investigation into assault complaints during a protest by Destiny Church members against a rainbow event at Te Atatū's library.
** Immigration New Zealand temporarily suspends deportation proceedings against New Zealand-born teenager Daman Kumar and his mother Sunita Devi (who both hold Indian citizenship) pending a ministerial review. Prior to a law change in 2006, babies of non-citizens born in New Zealand were entitled to New Zealand citizenship.
* 18 February:
** Government Statistician Mark Sowden confirms he will resign on 30 March after an inquiry by the Public Service Commission into data breach allegations at Manurewa Marae in 2023 criticised Statistics New Zealand's handling of personal information and management of conflicts of interest.
** Torrential rain leads to flash flooding in parts of Otago including Beaumont.
* 19 February:
** The New Zealand Government establishes a NZ$2 million dual purpose fund to honour children who died in care and were buried in unmarked graves.
** A group of abuse survivors picket the Accident Compensation Corporation's Christchurch office, demanding the company reform eligibility coverage policies for abuse survivors.
* 20 February:
** Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk uses his discretionary powers to grant Davan Kumar a residency visa but upholds the deportation order against his overstayer parents.
** Australian and New Zealand Defence Ministers Richard Marles and Judith Collins confirm that the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces are monitoring three Chinese warships that are sailing through international waters near Sydney.
** New Zealand Media and Entertainment confirms plans to layoff several senior reporters and create a new Free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel.
* 21 February:
** Flights between Australia and New Zealand are diverted after the Chinese military conducts live fire drills using warships 340 nautical miles east of Sydney, in international waters. The drills continued the following day and were closely monitored by the militaries of both Australia and New Zealand.
** The New Zealand Government allocates NZ$200 million of funding for the City Rail Link to removing level crossings in order to ease traffic congestion in Auckland.
** Andrew Bayly resigns as Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs after he "placed a hand" on a staff member's upper arm on 18 February, in what Bayly acknowledges as "overbearing" behavior.
* 22 February:
** Police investigate five suspected overnight church arson attempts in Masterton.
** Chinese warships conduct a second live firing exercise in the Tasman Sea. Prime Minister Luxon confirms that Australian and New Zealand naval forces including HMNZS Te Kaha are monitoring the Chinese vessels.
* 23 February:
** LGBT supporters gather in Auckland's Albert Park to protest against Destiny Church's disruption of Pride events on 15 February.
** The New Zealand Police confirm they are investigating graffiti at the former location of Auckland's Kadimah School, which was discovered on 6 February.
* 24 February – The Police confirmed they have seized 76 gang patches and filed 337 charges for alleged insignia breaches under the Gangs Act 2024.
* 25 February:
** Immigration Minister Erica Stanford announces the Government will ease residency rules to recruit more primary school teachers from overseas.
** Executive director Helen Potiki and legal counsels Nick Whittington and Kristy McDonald KC resign from the second phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned.
* 26 February:
** A wildfire engulfs over 70 hectares of land near Waipoua Settlement, leading to the evacuation of local residents.
** Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee confirm the Government will introduce legislation expanding citizen's arrest powers to combat retail crime.
** Foreign Minister Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to raise concerns about Chinese naval exercises in the Tasman Sea.
** Police confirm they have issued a warrant to arrest a 44-year old man in connection with the arson of four Masterton churches on 22 February.
* 27 February – The New Zealand Government confirms it will introduce legislation to extend the parliamentary term from three to four years, subject to a referendum.
* 28 February:
** High Court Justice Simon Moore quashes Whakaari Management Limited's conviction for its role in the 2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption.
** Sarah Fitt resigns as chief executive of state pharmaceutical agency Pharmac.
** Oranga Tamariki workers affiliated with Public Service Association launch a seven-week strike avoiding double shifts, being on-call, and working overtime to protest unsatisfactory pay and work conditions.

### March

* 1 March – A thousand people attended a Pride march in Christchurch to mark the start of the month-long Christchurch Pride 2025 festival. A group of Destiny Church counter-demonstrators protest during a performance by drag performer Georgie Lush.
* 3 March:
** The New Zealand Government announces a two-year primary care programme targeting 100 extra overseas-trained doctors to address a national shortage of doctors.
** Anti-war protesters from Peace Action Ōtautahi climb onto the roof of armaments multinational company NIOA's New Zealand headquarters in Christchurch.
** Water infrastructure company Wellington Water releases a critical report revealing poor financial practices, poor oversight of consultants and contractors and an alleged incident of theft.
* 4 March:
** The Commerce Commission launches an investigation into allegations of "potential unlawful conduct" by Wellington Water contractors.
** The Ministry for Primary Industries launches an investigation into School Lunch Collective meals after children were served meals with melted plastic packaging.
* 5 March:
** Richard Prebble resigns from the Waitangi Tribunal, citing disagreements over the interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi.
** Adrian Orr resigns as Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
* 6 March:
** Foreign Minister Winston Peters sacks New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Phil Goff over remarks criticising US President Donald Trump.
** Health Minister Simeon Brown confirms the Government would lower the bowel screening eligibility age range from 60 to 58 years, using funding from a cancelled pilot programme established by the previous Labour government to lower the eligibility age for Māori and Pasifika New Zealanders from 60 to 50 years.
** Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran announces that he will resign from his position effective 20 October.
* 7 March:
** New Zealand Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins announces a cabinet reshuffle of his shadow cabinet during his State of the Nation speech.
** Health Minister Simeon Brown announces a major overhaul of Health New Zealand including reinstating its leadership board, decentralisation and promoting private-public partnership.
* 8 March:
** A Pride parade is held in Wellington, with Mayor of Wellington Tory Whanau and actor Karen O'Leary attending. About 30 Destiny Church Man Up protesters stage a counter-protest. Police separate the two groups.
** A total fire ban comes into force in the Northland Region from 12am midnight in response to persistent dry, hot and windy conditions.
* 11 March – School lunch provider Libelle Group goes into liquidation, affecting 500 staff. The company had been contracted by the Compass Group to provide 125,000 meals to the Government's "Ka Ora, Ka Ako" school meal programme.
* 12 March:
** Camilla Belich's Crimes (Theft By Employer) Amendment Bill passes its third reading in Parliament with the support of the Labour, Green, Te Pāti Māori and New Zealand First.
** Minister for Economic Growth Nicola Willis proposes scrapping several procurement rules including the Living Wage requirement for government contracts. She also proposes a new economic benefits test for both government services and building contracts.
** The Whanganui District Council scraps its food scraps collection service in response to local opposition.
* 13 March – The New Zealand Government hosts a two-day Infrastructure Investment Summit in Auckland with the goal of attracting international investment from foreign sovereign funds and multinational companies. Protesters from various groups including ActionStation picket the summit's premises at Park Hyatt.
* 14 March — Compass Group confirms it will acquire the assets of the bankrupt Libelle Group food catering service.
* 17 March:
** The Whangārei District Council rescinds its decision in November 2024 to defy a Government directive to flouridate its water supply, pending a High Court injunction on the matter expected to be released on 18 March.
** A 14 year old youth is convicted of the manslaughter of Dunedin teenager Enere Taana-McLaren in May 2024.

### Predicted and scheduled

* 1 April – The minimum wage will rise by 1.5% from $23.15 to $23.50. In addition, training and starting wages will rise to $18.80.
* 1 June – David Seymour will replace Winston Peters as deputy prime minister, as part of the coalition agreement in 2023.
* 2 June – The 2025 King's Birthday Honours will be announced.
* 30 June – Oji Fibre Solutions will cease paper production operations at its Kinleith Mill in Tokoroa, affecting 230 jobs.
* Mid 2025 – Construction of the Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway is expected to be finished.
* 22 September – A partial solar eclipse will be visible across mainland New Zealand, starting at sunrise and reaching maximum around 7AM.
* 11 October:
** The 2025 local elections will be held.
** 2025 New Zealand local referendums on Māori wards and constituencies.
* 31 December:
** The 2026 New Year Honours will be announced.
** Telecommunications companies 2degrees, One New Zealand, and Spark New Zealand end their 2G and 3G mobile network services.

## Holidays and observances

Public holidays in New Zealand in 2025 are as follows:
* 1 January – New Year's Day
* 2 January – Day after New Year's Day
* 6 February – Waitangi Day
* 18 April – Good Friday
* 21 April – Easter Monday
* 25 April – Anzac Day
* 2 June – King's Birthday
* 20 June – Matariki
* 27 October – Labour Day
* 25 December – Christmas Day
* 26 December – Boxing Day

## Sport

* Cricket
* Horse racing
* Lawn bowls
* Shooting
* Tennis

### Cricket
#### January

* New Zealand completes 2–1 series win over Sri Lanka in a three-match Twenty20 International series in New Zealand.
* New Zealand defeats Sri Lanka 2–1 in a three-match ODI series in New Zealand.

### Horse racing
#### Thoroughbred racing

* Wellington Cup – Wolfgang

### Lawn bowls

* Men's singles champion – Matt Berry (Pringle Park Bowling Club)
* Men's pair champions – Jamie Hill (Mt Albert Bowling Club), Lance Pascoe (Elmwood Park Bowling Club) (skip)
* Women's singles champion – Debbie White (Hinuera Bowling Club)
* Women's pair champions – Lisa Prideaux (Auckland Bowling Club), Olivia Bloomfield (New Lynn Bowling Club) (skip)

### Shooting

* Ballinger Belt – Ross Geange (Hamilton Whatawhata)

### Tennis

The ASB Classic tournament is held in Auckland from 28 December 2024 to 11 January 2025:
* Women's singles – Clara Tauson
* Women's doubles – Jiang Xinyu / Wu Fang-hsien
* Men's singles – Gaël Monfils
* Men's doubles – Michael Venus / Nikola Mektić

## Deaths
### January

* 1 January – Helen Hogan, educator (Hillmorton High School, WEA), editor of poetry anthologies, and Māori studies scholar (born 1923).
* 2 January – Lex Clark, Olympic rower (1964) (born 1943).
* 3 January
** Kate Coolahan, commercial artist, fashion illustrator, printmaker, and design educator (Wellington Polytechnic) (born 1929).
** Dame Tariana Turia, politician, Labour list MP (1996–2002), MP for Te Tai Hauāuru (2002–2014), co-leader of the Māori Party (2004–2014), Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector (2003–2004, 2008–2011), Minister for Disability Issues (2009–2014), Minister for Whānau Ora (2010–2014) (born 1944).
* 5 January
** Philippa Blair, artist (born 1945).
** Lou Robinson, structural engineer and heritage advocate (born 1943).
* 7 January – Arthur Pomeroy [de], classical scholar (Victoria University of Wellington), chess player and administrator (born 1953).
* 18 January – Russell Marshall, politician and diplomat, MP for Wanganui (1972–1990), Minister of Education (1984–1987), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1987–1990), chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington (2000–2002), High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (2002–2005) (born 1936).
* 19 January – David Johnston, disaster researcher (Massey University) (born 1966).
* 21 January
** Diana Beaglehole, historian (born 1938).
** Hansgerd Delbrück, scholar of German literature (Victoria University of Wellington) (born 1941).
* 22 January – Bill Boyd, Rotarian, president of Rotary International (2006–2007) (born 1933).
* 24 January – Ann McKenna, field hockey player (national team) and cricketer (Canterbury, national team) (born 1943).
* 25 January – Pakaitore Turia, rugby union player (Wellington, Horowhenua-Kapiti) (born 1995).
* 29 January – Ian Wood, civil engineer (University of Canterbury), Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (since 1990) (born 1930).
* 30 January – John Pettit, undersea diver (wreck of the Elingamite), nurseryman, and politician, Auckland Regional Councillor (1986–1992) (born 1930).
* 31 January – Peter Penlington, lawyer and judge, King's Counsel (since 1978), High Court judge (1990–2000) (born 1932).
* Kate Coolahan
* Dame Tariana Turia
* Russell Marshall
* David Johnston
* Bill Boyd
* John Pettit

### February

* 1 February
** Mike Behrens, lawyer and judge, King's Counsel (since 1999), District Court judge (2004–2011) (born 1941).
** Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi, Māori language advocate (born 1929).
* 2 February – Peter Babich, Hall of Fame viticulturist and businessman (born 1932).
* 5 February – Brian Turner, field hockey player (national team), poet and environmental campaigner, Commonwealth Poetry Prize (1999), Poet Laureate (2003–2005) (born 1944).
* 6 February – Jim Cole, volcanologist (University of Canterbury), Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (since 2004) (born 1941).
* 7 February – Ian Barton, forester, heritage advocate (Queen's Redoubt Trust), and local-body politician, Franklin District Councillor (1998–2004) (born 1937).
* 10 February
** Lynne Giddings, nursing and women's studies academic (Auckland University of Technology, University of Auckland) (born 1945).
** Toni Huata, Māori musician.
** Rod McElrea, racing driver, national beach racing champion (1971), OSCA champion (1983) (born 1941).
* 12 February – Theo Janssen, sculptor, stained-glass artist and painter (born 1934).
* 13 February – Joe Pope, business executive (Petrocorp, ENZA) and rugby administrator, chair of Hurricanes franchise (1999–2003) and Wellington Rugby Football Union (2003–2009) (born 1941).
* 15 February
** David Ellison, Māori leader (Kāti Huirapa), veterans' welfare and children's health advocate (born 1936).
** David Parsons, musician, composer and ethnomusicologist (born 1944).
* 17 February – David Saunders, lawyer and judge, District Court judge (1993–2020) (born c. 1951).
* 20 February
** Reg Douglas, Olympic rower (1956), British Empire and Commonwealth Games gold (1954, 1958) and silver medallist (1954) (born 1930).
** Sir Peter Trapski, lawyer and judge, chief District Court judge (1985–1989) (born 1935).
** Maata Wharehoka, weaver, Māori arts advocate, community leader (Parihaka), Ngā Tohu ā Tā Kīngi Īhaka (2015) (born 1950).
* 21 February – John Anderson, businessman, founder of Contiki Tours (1962) (born 1938).
* 24 February – Khalid Sandhu, Muslim community leader and physician, president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (1986–1988, 1989–1990) (born 1942).
* 27 February – Michael Moroney, Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer (Brew, Tofane, Xcellent) (born 1958).
* Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi
* Brian Turner
* Sir Peter Trapski
* John Anderson
* Maata Wharehoka

### March

* 4 March – Dave Gillespie, rugby union player (Otago, Wellington, national team) (born 1934). (death announced on this date)
* 14 March – Anne Nightingale, nurse, chair of the Nursing Council (1975–1984) (born 1932).