2011 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 2011 in New Zealand.

2011 in New Zealand

Decades:
  • 1990s
  • 2000s
  • 2010s
  • 2020s
See also:

Population

  • Estimated population as of 31 December: 4,399,400[1]
  • Increase since 31 December 2010: 25,600 (0.58%)
  • Males per 100 Females: 95.7

Incumbents

Regal and vice-regal

Government

2011 was the third and last full year of the 49th Parliament, which was dissolved on 20 October. A general election was held on 26 November to elect the 50th Parliament, which saw the Fifth National Government elected for a second term.

Other Party leaders

Judiciary

Main centre leaders

Events

February

ChristChurch Cathedral and the Cathedral Square two days after the 6.3 magnitude earthquake
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key visiting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) base of operations at Latimer Square, Christchurch. Following the devastating earthquake, Key is thanking DART Team leader Al Dwyer and talking to the team.

March

April

May

Structural damage caused by the Albany tornado

June

July

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta looks on as New Zealand Prime Minister John Key signs an official guest book before a meeting in the Pentagon on 21 July 2011.
U.S. President Obama and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key make a statement to the press conference following their meeting at the Oval Office, on 22 July 2011.

August

Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae performs a hongi with the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key at his swearing-in ceremony outside the parliament, on 31 August 2011.

September

  • 9 September – The Rugby World Cup begins, the first time the event has been held in New Zealand since 1987. New Zealand playing Tonga at Eden Park, Auckland in the opening game, which was marred with overcrowding problems on the Auckand Waterfront fan zone and transport failures resulting in some spectators missing the game.[11]
  • 28 September – A New Zealand Special Air Service soldier dies fighting in Afghanistan, the second in two months.[12]
  • 30 September – Credit agencies Fitch and Standard & Poor's both downgrade New Zealand's long-term credit rating from AA+ to AA.[13]

October

  • 5 October – The container ship MV Rena runs aground on the Astrolabe Reef 12 nmi (22 km) off the coast of Tauranga, causing a large oil spill into the Bay of Plenty.[14][15]
  • 11–13 October – The Tauranga oil spill becomes the nation's worst maritime environmental disaster, as tonnes of fuel oil from the MV Rena washes ashore near Tauranga and containers begin to fall off the damaged ship.[16]
  • 23 October – The Rugby World Cup concludes, with the New Zealand All Blacks winning the tournament and the Webb Ellis Cup after defeating France 8–7 in the final at Eden Park, Auckland.
  • 25–30 October – Natural gas supply to the Upper North Island is severely cut back after a major leak is found in the Maui high pressure gas line in northern Taranaki, affecting 255,000 consumers including many several major industrial users, thermal power stations, dairy factories, hospitals and businesses.[17][18][19]

November

December

  • 10 December – Official results for the 26 November general election and voting system referendum are released:
    • The National Party is confirmed to hold a plurality of the votes and seats. With confidence and supply agreements with ACT New Zealand and United Future confirmed, National announces it will form a minority government with a one-seat majority, returning the Fifth National Government to a second term in office.
    • Full results of the referendum on the voting system confirm that the Mixed Member Proportional voting system, with 57.8% of the vote, will be kept but will be reviewed. The First Past the Post voting system gains the most votes for the preferred alternative voting system.
  • 11 December – The National Party signs a confidence and supply agreement with the Maori Party, extending its majority to govern to seven seats (64 seats to 57).[20]
  • 13 December – A fault disconnects Huntly Power Station from the national grid at 12:38pm, resulting in 200,000 customers across the North Island losing power as Transpower employs load shedding to prevent a cascade failure of the North Island electricity network. Electricity is gradually restored to customers as reserve generation comes online to replace Huntly.[21][22]
  • 14 December – A state of emergency is declared in the Nelson region after nearly 200mm of rain falls on the region in 24 hours, causing widespread flooding.[23][24]
  • 20–21 December – The 50th New Zealand Parliament is opened, with members elected at the 26 November general election being sworn in and the Governor-General delivering the Speech from the Throne.[25]
  • 23 December – A magnitude 5.8 and a magnitude 6.0 earthquake strike Christchurch at 1:58pm and 3:18pm respectively, causing damage, liquefaction, minor injuries, and majorly disrupting shopping and travel in the lead-up to the Christmas holiday period.[26][27]

Holidays and observances

Arts and literature

Films

Performing arts

Television

  • C4 to be renamed FOUR

Sport

Events

Harness racing

Shooting

  • Ballinger Belt – Richard Rowlands (Malvern)

Births

Deaths

January

  • 19 January – Bryce Postles, cricketer (born 1931)
  • 21 January – Wally Hughes, association football player and coach (born 1934)

February

March

April

May

June

July

  • 1 July – Harold Nelson, Olympic runner (born 1923)
  • 5 July – Lesley Rowe, athlete (born 1929)
  • 13 July – Dame Vivienne Boyd, community leader (born 1926)
  • 16 July – Dame Katerina Mataira, educator and Māori language proponent, co-founder of Kura Kaupapa Māori (born 1932)
  • 19 July – Roy Meehan, Olympic wrestler (born 1931)
  • 20 July
  • 21 July – Don Jowett, athlete (born 1931)
  • 28 July – Joan de Hamel, children's author (born 1924)

August

September

October

November

December

See also

References

  1. "Historical population estimates tables". Statistics New Zealand.
  2. Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae Archived 3 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Governor-General of New Zealand. Retrieved 8 June 2012
  3. Watkins, Tracy (16 February 2011). "Gillard addresses NZ Parliament". Fairfax Media (via Stuff.co.nz). Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  4. Watkins, Tracy (23 February 2011). "Key announces national state of emergency". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  5. "State of emergency lifted in Christchurch". 3 News. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  6. "Weather warnings lifted after Albany tornado wreaks havoc; one dead". The New Zealand Herald. 3 May 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  7. Chapman, Kate (20 May 2011). "Govt: We know there will be pain - stuff.co.nz". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  8. "Emperor penguin makes epic detour to New Zealand beach". The Guardian. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  9. "New Zealand blizzards 'heaviest in 50 years'". The Guardian. 15 August 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  10. "Snow storm: Travel chaos spreads". Television New Zealand. 15 August 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  11. "Waterfront move an 'overreaction'". The New Zealand Herald. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  12. "Key: no honour for soldiers by withdrawing". Stuff.co.nz. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  13. "New Zealand's credit rating downgraded - stuff.co.nz". The Dominion Post. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  14. "New Zealand prepares for major oil slick disaster". Deutsche Welle. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  15. Scragg, Edward (8 October 2011). "Oiled wildlife threat heightens". Sun Live. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  16. "Rena disaster: Ship could break up - PM". Stuff.co.nz. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  17. "Gas leak shutting down businesses". Television New Zealand. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  18. Rilkoff, Matt (26 October 2011). "Workers repairing the damaged Maui pipeline". Taranaki Daily News. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  19. Wade, Amelia (26 October 2011). "Maui gas leak: $20m daily milk loss". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  20. "National and Maori Party back in business together". Television New Zealand. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  21. "Genesis investigates 'extreme' power cut". Television New Zealand. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  22. "Power restored to most North Island customers". The New Zealand Herald. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  23. "State of emergency in Nelson". The New Zealand Herald. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  24. "Evacuations continue in wake of Nelson flooding". Fairfax Media (via Stuff.co.nz). 16 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  25. "50th Parliament sworn in". Television New Zealand. 20 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  26. "Large earthquakes hit Christchurch". Sydney Morning Herald. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  27. "Christchurch rocked by earthquakes". The New Zealand Herald. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.

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