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Official long list – 40 flag designs (30 designers) These flag designs (in random order) have been selected for further investigation by the Flag Consideration Panel as part of the design review process. The designs will be subject to robust checks and verification, including intensive intellectual property review, to ensure they are workable and that there are no impediments. By mid-September 2015, the Panel will announce the four alternative designs that will be ranked by eligible voters in the 1st binding referendum later this year.

Its official – long list of 40 potential flag designs announced

The Flag Consideration Panel announced today the long list of 40 flag designs that have been selected for further investigation as part of the official design review process.

Flag Consideration Panel chair, Professor John Burrows, said that every member of the Panel viewed every one of the 10,292 designs and greatly appreciated the thought and hard work that was put into the flag design suggestions.

“We would like to thank everyone for their design suggestions and we’ve been impressed with the very high standard. The Panel made a unanimous decision and selected flag designs we believe best reflect New Zealand’s identity, as shared with us in the values and themes that New Zealanders expressed throughout this process.

In reviewing alternatives, we were guided that a potential new flag should unmistakably be from New Zealand and celebrate us as a progressive, inclusive nation that is connected to its environment, and has a sense of its past and vision for its future.

The Panel has made its preliminary selection of flag designs that it believes best represent the range of suggestions it has received. It is important that those designs are timeless, can work in a variety of contexts, are simple, uncluttered, balanced and have good contrast,” said Professor Burrows.

The designs will be subject to further robust checks and verification, including intensive intellectual property review, to ensure designs are workable and that there are no impediments for them moving forward in the process.

Under its terms of reference, it is now the Panel’s responsibility to determine the alternative flag designs.

“As you will appreciate, the Panel must remain neutral and unbiased. We will be taking into account a number of factors including design, practicality and technical considerations and will announce the four alternatives by mid-September.

Eligible voters will then rank these four alternatives in the first referendum later this year,” said Professor Burrows.

The long list of potential designs can be viewed on www.flag.govt.nz.

ENDS

How New Zealanders have connected with the project

• 10,292 alternative designs published

• 850,000+ online visits

• 6,000+ visits to workshops and information stands

• 1.18m+ people reached by Facebook

• 146,000+ views of the NZ flag history video

• 43,000+ New Zealanders have shared what they stand for (online & via post)

Panel’s selection criteria:

In reviewing flag designs, first and foremost, the Flag Consideration Panel were guided by the results of the ten week engagement programme across a range of communities where thousands of Kiwis shared what was special about New Zealand. This provided the Panel, and flag designers, with invaluable direction as to how New Zealanders see themselves and their country and how those values might best be expressed in a new flag. The Panel agreed a flag should:

• unmistakably be from New Zealand and celebrate us as a progressive, inclusive, environmentally connected country, that has a sense of its past and a vision of its future;

• be a ‘great’ flag, which means that; it adheres to the principles of good flag design, has an enduring quality which will not become outdated, and would work well in all situations from celebration to commemoration;

• be inclusive, in that all New Zealanders should be able to see themselves within it; and

• not have any impediments to its use as a potential New Zealand flag.

Final decisions are the responsibility of the Panel. In making its selection, the Panel invited a number of cultural (including tikanga), vexillology, art and design experts to provide confidential technical feedback on designs under consideration. The role of these advisors was to review designs to ensure they are workable and that there are no impediments in the choice of proposed designs.

About the Flag Consideration Project

The Flag Consideration Panel was appointed in February 2015 following nominations by a Cross Party Group of MPs. The Panel is independent of government and has been provided with a set budget within which it is required to conduct a public engagement campaign that will culminate in the recommendation of four alternative flag designs to the Responsible Minister, Hon Bill English.

The Panel is not responsible for the Flag Referendums Bill that establishes a process for the holding of two postal referendums on the New Zealand Flag. Cabinet has specified that the Panel’s public engagement process must be independent, inclusive, enduring, well-informed, practical, community-driven, dignified, legitimate and consistent with the Crown’s Treaty obligations.

For more information see:

http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/all/files/publications/nzflag-process-cabinet-paper-october2014.pdf

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/flag-consideration-panel-members-announced

OPEN LETTER FROM THE FLAG CONSIDERATION PANEL

E ngā iwi, e ngā karangatanga, te iti me te rahi, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou

We want to thank everyone for the 10,292 design you’ve suggested. Each of these was viewed by every Panel member. We have been impressed with the very high standard and greatly appreciate the thought and hard work that went into these designs. As a Panel, we have now selected a long list of designs for further investigation as part of the design review process.

A great flag should be distinctive and so simple it can be drawn by a child from memory. A great flag is timeless and communicates swiftly and potently the essence of the country it represents. A flag should carry sufficient dignity to be appropriate for all situations in which New Zealanders might be represented. It should speak to all Kiwis. Our hope is that New Zealanders will see themselves reflected in these flags’ symbols, colour and stories.

In reviewing flag designs, first and foremost, we were guided by what thousands of Kiwis across a range of communities told us when they shared what is special to them about New Zealand. This provided the Panel, and flag designers, with valuable direction as to how New Zealanders see our country and how those values might best be expressed in a new flag.

The message was clear, and the Panel agreed. A potential new flag should unmistakably be from New Zealand and celebrate us as a progressive, inclusive nation that is connected to its environment, and has a sense of its past and a vision for its future.

In finalising the long list we invited a number of cultural (including tikanga), vexillology, art and design experts to review the selection, to ensure the designs are workable and there are no known impediments. Detailed due diligence will now be completed on these designs, including robust intellectual property checks.

As a Panel, we’ve been appointed by government to determine the four alternative flag designs in a neutral and unbiased way. We are committed to doing that. We have selected for the long list designs that we believe best reflect the values New Zealanders have shared with us and you can view these on www.flag.govt.nz.

By mid-September we will select the four alternatives which eligible voters will rank in the first binding referendum later this year. This will be the opportunity for people to express their preferences and make choices. We encourage you to make sure you are enrolled to vote so that you can take part in this nationally significant process. In March next year, New Zealand will make history when it votes between the current flag and the preferred alternative.

Ngā mihi nui kia koutou katoa

Regards

Flag Consideration Panel

[Original press release (PDF)]

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