As it happened: Jacinda Ardern claims victory, Collins concedes defeat

Thank you for joining us this evening. Before I sign off, here's a final update on the numbers.

About 98.5 per cent of votes have been counted. Labour's 49 per cent share of the vote – which equates to 64 of 120 seats – has not shifted in the last hour.

Meanwhile, the National Party remains at 26.9 per cent, about 35 seats. The ACT New Zealand and Green Party have both snapped up 10 seats, while the Maori Party has gained one seat.

We'll find out the results of the referendum after election day, with preliminary results released on October 30.

You can catch on the day's events here.

Jacinda Ardern's partner Clarke Gayford said when he saw the initial polling numbers, he thought they would taper off.

"I was like, 'Well that will come down, that can't hold'," he told 1 News. "It just stayed pretty consistent the whole way through."

"It's just so remarkable. I am so proud of the whole team."

He added that the success of the night had not sunk in, with his focus during on not burning fish he cooked up for waiting journalists outside the family home and whether their daughter Neve could "sleep through all the noise in our house".

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has congratulated Jacinda Ardern on her re-election, saying he is looking forward to working with her.

Runner up candidate for Wairarapa Mike Butterick has congratulated Labour’s Kieran McAnulty on his win. It's only politics after all.

Australian Labor leader Anthony Albanese has taken to social media to congratulate Jacinda Ardern on her win.

Earlier today, Albanese posted a tweet wishing the New Zealand Prime Minister well, but deleted it after the New Zealand Electoral Commission told him the post breached their social media rules.

In New Zealand, strict rules prevent the posting of anything that could be seen as influencing votes on election day between midnight and 7pm Saturday.

Jacinda Ardern has just spoken to TV NZ, a few moments after she claimed victory before Labour supporters gathered in Auckland's town hall.

On the current numbers, Ardern won't need the Greens to form government – she can claim a majority of seats in the Parliament for the first time since New Zealand moved to the mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) system in 1996.

Ardern said she will talk to the centre-left party about joining her party in government after taking the night to digest her huge win.

The re-elected Prime Minister did indicate, however, that she was reluctant to hand over the deputy prime ministership to the Greens.

"First thing tomorrow, we can crack on with work," she added.

In other news, the NZ Electoral Commission is now projecting the Maori Party could win one seat in the Parliament.

The party last held a seat in the Beehive from 2014-2017, when it lost both its seats.