The following lists events that happened during 1999 in New Zealand.
Population
Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,851,100. Increase since 31 December 1998: 22,500 (0.57%). Males per 100 Females: 96.5.
Incumbents
Regal and viceregal
Head of State - Elizabeth II
Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO
Government
The 45th New Zealand Parliament continued. until the general election, held 27 November for the 46th New Zealand Parliament starting 10 December. The governing National Party was defeated. The Labour Party, led by Helen Clark, in coalition with Alliance, led by Jim Anderton, formed the new government.
Speaker of the House - Doug Kidd then Jonathan Hunt
Prime Minister - Jenny Shipley then Helen Clark
Deputy Prime Minister - Wyatt Creech then Jim Anderton
Minister of Finance - Bill Birch then Bill English then Bill Birch then Michael Cullen Minister of Foreign Affairs - Don McKinnon then Phil Goff Chief Justice — Sir Thomas Eichelbaum (until 17 May), Sian Elias (starting 17 May)
Opposition leaders
See: :Category:Parliament of New Zealand, :New Zealand elections
National - TBD (Leader of the Opposition) Greens - Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald Act - TBD New Zealand First - Winston Peters United New Zealand - TBD
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland - Christine Fletcher
Mayor of Hamilton - Russell Matthew Rimmington
Mayor of Wellington - Mark Blumsky
Mayor of Christchurch - Garry Moore
Mayor of Dunedin - Sukhi Turner
Events
The Animal Welfare Act 1999 is passed into law
The Pohatu Marine Reserve was formally established
Kapiti Island is declared free of mammalian predators. 3 May: The Daily Telegraph and The Hawke's Bay Herald Tribune merge to form Hawke's Bay Today. 11–15 September: State visit by United States President Bill Clinton to attend the 11th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders meeting; the second Presidential visit after Lyndon Johnson in 1966; see Visit. 11 October: United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan visits New Zealand. 27 November: The last "dry" electorates in New Zealand (Eden, Roskill and Tawa) voted to go "wet" and to allow alcohol sales. 1 December: Changes to alcohol licensing in the Sale of Liquor Amendment Act: Sunday sales in on-licence and off licence premises, supermarkets could sell beer (they sold wine from 1989) and the drinking age dropped from 20 to 18; the changes were passed by Parliament, 59 to 55.
Arts and literature
Michael King and Paula Boock win the Robert Burns Fellowship. Montana New Zealand Book Awards: Montana Medal: Heather Nicholson, The Loving Stitch: A history of knitting and spinning in New Zealand Deutz Medal: Elizabeth Knox, The Vintner's Luck Reader's Choice: Elizabeth Knox, The Vintner's Luck First Book Awards Fiction: Willian Brandt, Alpha Male Poetry: Kate Camp, Unfamiliar Legends of the Stars Non-Fiction: Helen Schamroth, 100 New Zealand Craft Artists
See 1999 in art, 1999 in literature, :Category:1999 books
Music
New Zealand Music Awards
Winners are shown first with nominees underneath.