During this 2015 and early 2016, New Zealanders will consider options for the national flag. A panel of 12 New Zealanders from all walks of life, age and experience has been appointed to help facilitate this national conversation about the flag. The Panel first selected an official long list of 40 alternative flag designs and has now announced the four alternative flag designs that New Zealand will rank in the first binding referendum this year.

Panel members

The members of the Panel were nominated by a cross-party group of Members of Parliament (MPs) and appointed in late February.  They're responsible for making sure that the flag referendums process is:

• independent
• inclusive
• enduring
• informed
• practical
• community-driven
• dignified
• legitimate
• consistent.

The Panel are:

• Chair: Emeritus Professor John Burrows, ONZM, QC - respected law lecturer, author, former member of the Law Commission, and co-Chair of the Panel which reviewed the New Zealand Constitution in 2012 (Christchurch)
• Nicky Bell - Chief Executive Officer of Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand and board director (Auckland)
• Peter Chin, CNZM - former Mayor of Dunedin, director and trustee (Dunedin)
• Julie Christie, ONZM - Director of Julie Christie Inc and board member (Auckland)
• Rod Drury - CEO of Xero and technology entrepreneur (Havelock North)
• Beatrice Faumuina, ONZM - Olympian, Commonwealth gold medallist, ASB Head of Talent & People Strategy, board member and trustee (Waitakere)
• Kate De Goldi - Deputy Chair, writer and reviewer (Wellington)
• Rhys Jones, CNZM - former Chief of NZ Defence Force (Wellington)
• Stephen Jones - Invercargill City Youth Councillor (Invercargill)
• Sir Brian Lochore, ONZ, KNZM, OBE - former All Black, coach and administrator (Masterton)
• Malcolm Mulholland - Academic and flag historian (Palmerston North), and
• Hana O’Regan - Academic, Māori studies and te reo Māori (Christchurch).