The Council of the Royal Society is the ruling body of the Society. It is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Royal Society and overseeing progress towards that strategy.
- Dr Jim Watson CNZM FRSNZ (Chair) President, Royal Society of New Zealand (to June)
- Mr Neville Jordan CNZM DistFIPENZ (Chair) President, Royal Society of New Zealand (from June)
- Mrs Barbara Arnold, Regional Constituent Organisations (from August)
- Hon Margaret Austin CRSNZ, Science & Technology Education (from August)
- Dr Mike Berridge, Health Sciences & Technologies
- Mr John Blackham, Technologcal & Engineering Sciences (from August)
- Dr Janet Bradford-Grieve FRSNZ, Biological Sciences & Technologies (to August)
- Professor Andrew Brodie MRSNZ, Physical Sciences & Technologies (to August)
- Professor John Buckeridge MRSNZ, Regional Constituent Organisations (to August)
- Professor Carolyn Burns CBE FRSNZ, Academy Council (Academy Council President to November)
- Dr Garth Carnaby MNZM FRSNZ, Academy Council
- Professor Marston Conder FRSNZ, Academy Council (Academy Council President from November)
- Mr Graham Foster, Regional Constituent Organisations (to August)
- Dr Clive Howard-Williams NZAM, FRSNZ, Biological Sciences & Technologies (from August)
- Dr David Hutchinson MRSNZ, Regional Constituent Organisations (from August)
- Professor Alister Jones MRSNZ, Science & Technology Education (to August)
- Mr George Jones MRSNZ, Technological & Engineering Sciences (to August)
- Dr Neville Jopson, Primary Resources Sciences & Technologies
- Professor Gaven Martin FRSNZ, Mathematical & Information Sciences
- Dr Jim Renwick MRSNZ, Earth Sciences & Technologies (from August)
- Professor Caroline Saunders MRSNZ, Social Sciences
- Professor Peter Schwerdtfeger FRSNZ, Physical Sciences & Technologies (from August)
- Professor Michael Walker FRSNZ, Co-opted Councillor (to August)
- Mr Paul White MRSNZ, Earth Sciences & Technologies (to August)
Past Presidents of the Royal Society of New Zealand
- 1997-2000 Emeritus Professor Sir John Scott KBE FRSNZ
- 2000-2003 Sir Gil Simpson KNZM QSM DSc honoris causa
- 2003-2006 Dr Jim Watson CNZM FRSNZ
N.B. Before 1997, the president of the Academy Council of Royal Society of New Zealand was also president of the Society
