Media Release

Ministry for Culture and Heritage

16 March

New Zealand Flag at half mast on Friday 18 March

At the request of the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable John Key, the New Zealand Flag is to be half-masted on all Government and public buildings on Friday 18 March 2011, to mark the memorial service for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake.

This instruction applies to all Government Departments and Government buildings which have flag poles.

The flag is half-masted by first raising it to the top of the mast and then immediately lowering it slowly to the half-mast position. The half-mast position will depend on the size of the flag and the length of the flagpole. The flag must be lowered to a position recognisably “half-mast” to avoid the appearance of a flag which has accidentally fallen away from the top of the flagpole. As a guide, the flag should be more than its own depth from the top of the flagpole. At the end of the day, the flag should be raised again to the top of the flagpole before being fully lowered.

For more information about half-masting the flag, visit http://www.mch.govt.nz/nzflag/flying.html

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