Campaign organisers are calling for Bay volunteers to hit the streets and collect signatures for the petition aimed at changing the New Zealand flag.
The NZflag.com Trust is targeting 10 per cent of the population in each region - and in the Bay's case that's 14,000 signatures.
A total of 6600 New Zealanders have registered their support through the trust's website, wwww.nzflag.com, and the petition - now approved by the Clerk of Representatives - will be officially launched in January.
The aim is to collect the required 270,000 signatures by May 1 - in time to organise a citizens'initiated referendum in conjunction with the next general election.
Campaign manager Iona Pannett said "we want to gather an army of volunteers and the best way will be to collect signatures at shopping centres, and at community and sporting events."
The trust has fuelled debate about having a unique flag that reflected New Zealand's as an indepedent nation in the South Pacific - and to make sure it was not being confused with Australia's.
If the petition was successful and more than 50 per cent of people wanted a change then another referendum would be held to decide the design of the national flag.
Dame Susan Devoy, Sport Bay of Plenty chief executive, and Jon Mayson, Port of Tauranga chief executive, are two high profile Tauranga residents supporting the campaign. Mr Mayson is one of four trustees of the NZflag.com Trust.
Bay of Plenty Times
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