New Zealand has revealed the final four designs for its proposed new flag this morning at a ceremony in Wellington.
The flags, revealed by deputy Prime Minister Bill English at Wellington’s national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, include three designs featuring the silver fern, an popular New Zealand plant which has been an icon for the country for over 160 years and a fourth design featuring a koru - a spiral shape reminiscent of a fern fond and an important symbol in Maori art.
Two of the shortlisted designs also include four stars in the formation of the Southern Cross constellation, representing New Zealand’s geographic location in the antipodes.
The four shortlisted flags were selected from 10,292 designs suggested by the public to the 12-person Flag Consideration Panel chaired by Professor John Burrows, these were later whittled down to a long-list of 40 flags.
The short-listed designs include:
Silver Fern (Black and White) by Alofi Kanter
Silver Fern (Red, White and Blue) by Kyle Lockwood
Koru by Andrew Fyfe
Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue) by Kyle Lockwood
Professor Burrows said the panel’s decision had been directed by public responses regarding what New Zealand “stands for”, as well as the panel’s own conditions.
Discussions about the new flag design took place in 25 public meetings held across the country, while more than a million took part in the process online.
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We don't think New Zealanders are taking redesigning their national flag entirely seriously
However, many have criticised the lack of variety in the options.
It's like trying to choose NZ's best wine from a lineup of anodyne house blends. #nzflag
— Jeremy Hansen (@_jeremyhansen) September 1, 2015
My critical #nzflag error was in believing that the shortlist would aim for synthesis rather than blandest common denominator.
— Keith Bolland (@kb) September 1, 2015
With #LaserKiwi not even making this elimination round, support plummets for #nzflag reality show. pic.twitter.com/Kgw8c8iRzq
— Rangi Kemara (@Te_Taipo) August 31, 2015
Select tool: Paint bucket Select colour: Black *clicks top left corner* #nzflag pic.twitter.com/ojOZ5LPvd2
— Sam Manuela (@DeepFriedDreams) September 1, 2015
The public will now rank the chosen designs in order of preference in a bidding proposal referendum held between 20 November and 11 December. A second referendum in March next year, will the decide whether to implement the proposed alternative or keep the current flag. If the new flag is favoured it will be adopted six months later.
