뉴질랜드 새 국기 디자인 4개로 압축돼, 타우랑가 시민들은 반대가 많아

뉴질랜드 새 국기에 도전하게 될 결선 4개 디자인이 발표됐다.  뉴질랜드 웰링턴에 위치한 Flag Consideration Panel은 어제 아침 여론 조사 결과를 발표하면서 거의 50%의 국민들의 국기 변경에 찬선하고 있다로 밝혔다.

4개 최종 디자인에는 실버펀과 코루 디자인이 있으며,  남십자성(4개의 별)이 포함된 국기 디자인도 포함돼 있다.

스튜어트 크로스비 타우랑가 시장 등 지도층은 미래 지향적이라는 이유로 국기 변경에 찬성하는 입장이지만,

대다수의 타우랑가 시민들은 (노년층이 특히 많은 지역이기 때문에) 기존 국기에 대한 애정이 남다른 것으로 밝혀졌다.

Read more: Most Tauranga people not keen to change 

They are the Kyle Lockwood's silver fern red white and blue design; Koru by Andew Fyfe; silver fern, black, white and blue; and white and black fern by a Alofi Kanter.

The panel released a long list of 40 flags in August for public feedback. The public will rank the four designs in order of preference in the first referendum in November. A second referendum next March will pit the preferred alternative against the current flag

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The final four options for a new flag have been released and three feature a silver fern - a selection that has been supported by some Bay leaders.

Two of the final four have also retained the Southern Cross and the other features a simple koru design.

Mayor Stuart Crosby was pleased to see the design he favoured, the silver fern and Southern Cross keeping with traditional colours, made the top four. The new designs were also supported in a quick Tauranga street poll listed below.

Mr Crosby maintained his opinion that the flag change was not "the highest priority" but supported the change he believed would "move the country forward".

       

4개로 압축된 뉴질랜드 새 국기 (위)와  현재 뉴질랜드 국기(아래). 

              

"I think as a country we've developed and advanced a lot and I think a new flag will assist in our identity," he said.

However, Mauao Maori Bay of Plenty regional councillor Awanui Black feared the $26 million flag change could potentially put the Treaty of Waitangi in "danger".

Mr Black said a flag change was a constitutional issue that required debate, and any sort of change that concerned the Treaty of Waitangi was a bad move.

"A whole constitutional decision has to be made and some of the safety clauses, if you will, within the Treaty of Waitangi could be at threat."

His main concern was not what the flag looks like but rather "what it ends up representing".

Kiwis will rank the four designs in order of preference in the first flag referendum in November. A second referendum next March will pit the preferred alternative against the current flag.

About 10,000 flag designs were narrowed down to a selection of 40 by the Flag Consideration Panel last month.

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges favoured the two flags which were adorned with the silver fern and southern cross but could not yet decide on his final preference. "I think when people put the current flag up against these four new versions more people will have a clearer understanding why a change has been proposed, and the support for a change will become much stronger," he said.

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller also liked the two versions with the fern and Southern Cross. Mr Muller said the silver fern reflected much of New Zealand's sporting and military history, and was a unique symbol which had been synonymous with New Zealand for at least 100 years.

Mount Maunganui RSA club support manager Peter Moss did not think change was necessary but believed keeping the traditional colour scheme was important to the country's Commonwealth heritage. "If we're not going to have the Union Jack then I think we should retain the red, white and blue as a historic fact," Mr Moss said.