Kiwi student wins New Zealand flag design competition

This flag design won the competition. Photo / Supplied

A Kiwi design student has managed to win a New Zealand flag design competition dominated by overseas entries.

Freelancer, a design website, weighed in on the country's flag debate, but some were quick to point out the conversation about New Zealand's future was being dominated by international voices.

However the winner, Christchurch design student Denise Fung, has shown that Kiwi ingenuity is still a winner.

Her winning design kept the traditional colours and southern cross motif of the current flag, but added a modern twist with a stylistic fern cutting diagonally through the middle.

"Instead of the Union Jack, I used the colours White, Blue [and] Red, to represent that New Zealand is part of the commonwealth," Ms Fung wrote in her entry description.

"The key elements on the new flag is the Silver Fern, which has a Kuro (sic) on the top as well. This combination of the two main icons of New Zealand not only could represent the personality of New Zealanders and the culture of Maori, but also creates a unique impression for the people outside New Zealand."

Ms Fung's Freelancer profile says she is studying at Yoobee School of design in Christchurch.

Official decisions about changes to the New Zealand flag won't be made until next year.