WELLINGTON – Nearly 30,000 people have signed a petition demanding the New Zealand government allow a fifth entry in the controversial contest for a new national flag.

Red Peak, designed by Wellington resident Aaron Dustin, was on the long list but did not make the final four.

The finalists were revealed to widespread disdain last week, with many saying said they were too boring, too corporate or unrepresentative.

By Sunday, a petition had emerged, begging the Prime Minister to add the geometric flag to the referendum.

“Prime Minister John Key, please make Red Peak the fifth flag option for New Zealand,” it reads.

But PM John Key has already said “no” to adding Red Peak into the contest.

Dustin has made the case that his flag design is simple and meaningful.

He says on his blog it uses the shape of traditional weaving patterns, and “suggests a landscape of alpine ranges, red earth, and black sky”, while referencing the Maori creation myth of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, also known as Rangi and Papa.

It also highlights New Zealand’s position near the international dateline, which makes it one of the “first to hold the light of new day”, he said.

By Monday evening, more than 28,000 people had signed the petition.

“The other options look like a random assemblage of how-to-design-a-flag clip art,” said Auckland resident, Camryn Brown.

“This is drawable, strongly and appropriately symbolic flag that looks like a flag. It will be something I could proudly display,” said another signatory, Liza Bolton.

Oscar Hemingway in Auckland said Red Peak was “has the simplicity needed to be a memorable symbol and its colours and shapes represent the nation well. It deserves at least to be on the short list and given its fair chance”.

But Prime Minister Key has shot down the petition, saying there was “a well set out process” and the cabinet had already accepted the four nominations.

“To accept any other flag – we would have to change the law, and we’re not going back to parliament to change the law,” he told a morning talkshow.

New Zealanders will have the chance to choose their favourite design in a referendum later this year. Then in 2016, another referendum will be held to decide whether to scrap the existing flag and replace it with the winner.

Key has argued New Zealand needs a new flag as its current one, adopted in 1902, is too similar to Australia’s, and the country needs one which better reflects its values.

But critics say the exercise is costly and unnecessary. It is expected to cost the New Zealand government more than NZ$27 million, according to news portal Stuff.

A spokesman for Flag minister Bill English confirmed there would be no changes to the shortlist.

“After a thorough transparent process the independent flag consideration panel recommended four alternative designs be put forward to referendum and the Cabinet has accepted the Panel’s recommendations and a referendum on the four recommended designs will go to referendum as per the legislation.”

But electoral law expert Graeme Edgeler said it would not be difficult for the government to add Red Peak to the ballot, if it wanted to.

“Cabinet could just issue a new order in council and change the alternative flags if it really wanted to.”

But Edgeler didn’t think that was likely unless an extraordinary groundswell of support for the flag was shown.

“Perhaps if there were a million people in a march, but I think it’s highly unlikely anything could change the government’s mind in time for the printing of ballot.”

Instead, Edgeler suggested if people love Red Peak, they should start flying it, hope the referendum for a new flag fails, and slowly ease the flag into the public consciousness.

“If that is the one, there is nothing to stop people from starting to use it now, that’s possibly how a flag change should happen anyway.”

Writer Toby Manhire and artist Dick Frizzell have both spoken in support of Red Peak’s simple, non-illustrative approach, and a Facebook page supporting the flag had 14,000 likes by Sunday.

Supporter Frizzell, whose work has extensively explored Kiwi iconography, said on Friday he found the four flags the panel offered lame, particularly the near identical fern designs.

“They’re so ******* tragic I can’t believe it,” he said.