KEY POINTS:
Transit NZ will ban all but the official New Zealand flag from flying over the Auckland Harbour Bridge - to the dismay of Maori nationalists wanting to raise their standards there.
Race Relations Conciliator Joris de Bres is also disappointed that from tomorrow the only flag on the bridge will be that of New Zealand, rather than of a bicultural Aotearoa or of people of other cultures living here.
Transit said yesterday that its board, in consultation with Transport Minister Annette King, had "simplified the policy to avoid issues that are unrelated to Transit's core business of building and operating the state highway network."
Chief executive Rick van Barneveld denied the change was directed solely at ending controversy over its refusal to allow tino rangatiratanga (Maori sovereignty) flags over the bridge on Waitangi Day.
Although acknowledging it was "a very complex issue for us", he said there were various other difficulties associated with the flying of 50 to 60 flags on national days in the past year.
Every fourth or fifth day, Transit contractors had to usher overseas diplomats over the bridge for official photographs, after ensuring they were dressed appropriately and that such things as cameras did not fall on vehicles and cause traffic chaos.
Maori nationalists flew their flags from the top of One Tree Hill, or Maungakiekie, last Waitangi Day after being denied permission to use the harbour bridge.
Transit said granting the request would have breached its policy of flying only flags of sovereign nations, but admitted overstepping that mark by raising the European Union banner.
Ngapuhi kaumatua Kingi Taurua, who led the bid to raise the Maori flag, said Transit could not make the issue disappear.
"We want two flags flying as one to indicate to the whole world that we are one people, each with their own way of doing things," he said.
"The Maori flag will fly on that bridge at some point and Transit had better grow up and think seriously about the decision they have made - the issue is not going to go away, it will be like the Treaty of Waitangi, it will stay forever and a day."
Mr de Bres said he was sorry to see the flags go.
Overseas diplomatic missions supply their own flags, but Transit spends about $5000 of an annual bridge maintenance budget of $5 million on flying two New Zealand flags.
Asked if he was concerned about making the bridge look less interesting, Mr van Barneveld said: "Our New Zealand flag is plenty colourful enough, we think."
