Iconic plant life dominates choices for alternative New Zealand flag

New Zealanders on Tuesday were shown four versions of what might be the next national flag all of them a variation on the theme of the country's native flora.

The government-appointed panel charged with choosing a potential new flag unveiled the final shortlist of four, which will be put to a nationwide referendum to decide a favorite by the end of this year.

Three of the designs feature the country's iconic silver fern in different color combinations: in black and white; in red, white and blue with the four stars of the Southern Cross; and in black, white and blue with the Southern Cross motif.

The fourth design features a koru a stylized Maori fern design - in black and white.

The four designs were the finalists from 10,292 designs submitted by the public, which were reduced to a long list of 40 last month.

Flag Consideration Panel chair Professor John Burrows stressed the importance of designs being unmistakably from New Zealand, timeless, free of any copyright or intellectual property issues and with the ability to work in a variety of contexts.

"There are practical matters such as how they look from a long distance, how they look from both sides, when flying, or still, in situations where they may hang vertically, and so on," Burrows said.

Burrows said it was an important time in New Zealand's history the very first time Kiwis would have a say in their flag.

A survey by the New Zealand Herald newspaper showed on Tuesday that opposition to changing the country's flag had dropped from 70 percent in April to 53 percent in August.

The public will decide the country's flag in two referenda: the first later in November and December to choose the most preferred design from the short list.

The most-preferred alternative design would then go to a second binding referendum in March next year, when voters would choose between it and the current flag, which features the British Union Jack in the top left corner and four red stars of the Southern Cross on a blue field.

Critics of the present flag, including Prime Minister John Key, say it is too similar to the Australian flag and that it is a hangover from the country's colonial past.

However, public meetings on the subject have highlighted a lack of enthusiasm for change, with few people turning out.

The entire project is expected to cost over 25 million NZ dollars (15.96 million U.S. dollars).

Political opponents have described it as a waste of money and a "vanity project" of the prime minister. Endi