30th August 2024

As a mark of Aotearoa New Zealand’s deepest mourning and respect, the New Zealand Flag is to be flown at half-mast on all Government and public buildings with immediate effect to mark the death of Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII.

The half-masting Notice is made at the request of the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Hon Paul Goldsmith, under the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981.

The Flag should be flown at half-mast until further notice is given about returning the flag to full mast once the lying in rest and tangihanga details are confirmed.

This instruction applies to all Government departments, buildings and naval vessels which have flag poles and normally fly the New Zealand Flag.

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. For more information about half-masting the flag, visit the Ministry's website.

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