News: 27 March 2015

Pursuant to section 10(1) of Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981, the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Hon Maggie Barry ONZM, hereby gives notice that the New Zealand Flag is to be half-masted on all Government and public buildings on Sunday 29 March 2015 to mark the funeral of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first Prime Minister.

This instruction applies to all Government Departments and public buildings which have flag poles staffed on Sunday.

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.

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

For any enquiries please email Ashley Mackenzie-White at [email protected]. Media enquiries should be directed to Tony Wallace on 021 564 909.