The NZ flag — your chance to decide

Between 5 May and 16 July 2015, the Flag Consideration Panel asked NZers to share their views and values as well as suggest alternative flag designs.

The nationwide engagement programme included:

• a national road show with 25 workshops and hui across the country
• visits to busy shopping malls, libraries and markets
• over 850,000 visits to our websites, and
• more than 1.1 million people reached via social media.

Find out more about how New Zealanders participated

You can still get involved by: 

1. holding or being part of a discussion in your community

We encourage all of you to have a conversation about the future of the New Zealand flag. The Community Resource Kit will help you hold a discussion with your whānau, workmates or members of a community group you're part of.

Community Resource Kit

2. getting your school involved

We’ve developed a Schools Resource Kit to help you go through the whole flag consideration process in your school. You can establish your own panel, create your flag designs and vote on the designs.

Schools Resource Kit

All New Zealanders enrolled to vote will choose between the current New Zealand flag and the Silver Fern flag in the final referendum from 3 to 24 March 2016.

This is a postal referendum, and voting papers have been sent in the mail to enrolled voters. 

Referendum One

20 November – 11 December 2015

Voters were asked to rank the 5 flag alternatives from most preferred to least preferred. On 15 December 2015 the Silver Fern Flag was announced as the preferred alternative.

View the results of the first referendum

Final Referendum

3 March – 24 March 2016

Eligible voters will choose between the current New Zealand Flag and the Silver Fern flag that was selected by voters in the first binding referendum from 20 November to 11 December 2015.

The results of the final referendum is binding. This means the flag that receives the most votes will be the official flag of New Zealand. There are full instructions in your voting pack, so you have all the information you need to help you complete your voting papers.

See how voting in the final referendum works on the Elections website

Referendum results will be announced by the Electoral Commission.

• Voting closes Thursday 24 March 7pm.
• Preliminary result — Thursday 24 March 8.30pm (target time).
• Official result — Wednesday 30 March 5pm (target time).

Electoral Commission

New Zealand election results information

The current flag was legally adopted in 1902. At times New Zealanders have talked about change. Designs have been put forward but there has never been an official public discussion about the future of our flag.

By law our flag can be changed by a simple majority of Parliament. However Government has decided that a flag that unites New Zealanders should be selected by all New Zealanders. A legitimate process that gives everyone the chance to have their say is important, so after careful consideration the decision was made to have 2 referendums. The 2 referendums ensure that New Zealanders know what the alternative flag looks like before they decide on their preferred flag.

The estimated cost is $25.7m over 2 years, or around $5.60 for each New Zealander. Most of the cost is in holding 2 postal referendums ($17.3m) and public consultation ($6.7m).

There are arguments for and against changing the flag. Taking the time to consider what you think is important in our flag and seeing flag designs that are a possible alternative means you’ll be ready to make a decision when it’s time to vote.

Download an overview of the flag consideration project (PDF 1.7MB)

If New Zealand decides on a new flag

Whatever New Zealand decides in the final referendum, our current flag will remain an important symbol of our history.

If New Zealand votes for a new flag, within 6 months of the change it will be flown on days of national commemoration and on government buildings as detailed in the Flags, Emblems and Names Protection Act 1981. Outside of these rules, New Zealanders can continue to fly the flag of their choice (including the current or previous flags). 

In 2009, the Government recognised the Tino Rangatiratanga flag as the preferred national Māori flag, and noted that it will complement New Zealand's national flag. A change to the New Zealand flag will not affect the status of the national Māori flag.

Other symbols of our nationhood like the New Zealand Coat of Arms will continue to be valid and used as they are, even if they include the current New Zealand flag in their design.