WThe New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2016/17 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Bill English on 26 May 2016. It was the eighth budget English has presented as Minister of Finance, and the eighth budget of the Fifth National Government.
WAn earthquake occurred in Christchurch on 14 February 2016 at 1:13 p.m. local time and initially recorded as 5.9 on the Richter scale, but subsequently reviewed as 5.7. Often referred to as the Valentine's Day earthquake, it was centred in the sea off New Brighton at a depth of 15 kilometres (9.3 mi). It was the first large earthquake that the Christchurch area had experienced since May 2012, and it was part of the earthquake sequence that started with the 4 September 2010 Canterbury earthquake.
WTwo New Zealand flag referendums were held by the New Zealand Government in November/December 2015 and March 2016 and resulted in the retention of the current flag of New Zealand.
WThe 2016 Kaikoura earthquake was a magnitude 7.8 (Mw) earthquake in the South Island of New Zealand that occurred two minutes after midnight on 14 November 2016 NZDT. Ruptures occurred on multiple faults and the earthquake has been described as the "most complex earthquake ever studied".
WOperation Neptune was a programme of commemorative events and activities held in New Zealand throughout the year 2016 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1941.
WThe Senior Courts Act 2016 is an Act of the Parliament of New Zealand which governs the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of New Zealand. It was passed by the New Zealand House of Representatives on 11 October 2016 as part of a Judicature modernisation package and received royal assent on 17 October 2016. One of its purposes was to replace and consolidate in a single statute the Judicature Act 1908 and the Supreme Court Act 2003, which were repealed.
WThe 2016 Te Araroa earthquake was an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale that occurred at 04:37:55 NZST on 2 September 2016. The epicentre was located 125 km (78 mi) north-east of Te Araroa off the East Cape of the North Island of New Zealand with a focal depth of 22 km (14 mi). The earthquake was widely felt throughout the North Island and in the upper South Island. There were no reported casualties, and buildings predominantly suffered only a little bit of damage.
WThe Waitangi dildo incident occurred on 5 February 2016 in Waitangi, New Zealand, when a protester flung a rubber dildo at MP Steven Joyce, striking him in the face. The incident became international news, and was quoted and parodied in art, music, and television comedy.