Half-masting to commemorate 10 years since quake

Flags on Government and public buildings will be flown at half mast on Monday to mark the tenth anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake.

The New Zealand flag will be flown at half-mast on all Government and public buildings on Monday.

The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern has requested the half-masting to mark the tenth anniversary of the Christchurch Earthquake.

'The New Zealand Flag should be flown at half-mast all day on Monday 22 February 2021,” says a Ministry for Culture & Heritage spokesperson.

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

'The Flag should be returned to full mast at the close of business hours on Monday 22 February 2021.”

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. At the end of the day, the flag should be raised again to the top of the flagpole before being fully lowered.

The New Zealand flag. Image: Ministry for Culture & Heritage.

The flying of the NZ Flag at half-mast is covered by section 10 of the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981 and the New Zealand Flag Notice 1986. The directive to lower the flags at half-mast on Government buildings is generally issued on the direction of Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage.

The last two times that the New Zealand flag was flown at half-mast was on December 9 2020 to mark the first anniversary of the Wahakaari/White Island volcanic eruption, and prior to that on November 19 2020 to mark the tenth anniversary of Pike River Mine.

For more information about half-masting the flag, visit www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identity-heritage/flags/half-masting-new-zealand-flag.


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