Protecting crowded places from attack

New Zealanders value the ability to congregate, socialise and connect alongside others. This can involve working in, using or visiting crowded places. The nature of crowded places means they pose extra risks to people, as they can be a target for attacks.

Everyone has a role to play in keeping crowded places safe, whether they are government officials, owners and operators of crowded places, community organisers or members of the public.

The New Zealand Government tasked Police to lead a cross agency group to develop this strategy which also highlights what individuals should do in the unlikely event of getting caught up in an attack.

The current national terrorism threat level is available on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website.

Escape,Hide,Tell banner


In an emergency everyone should call 111

If the information is not time-critical, people can report suspicious or unusual behaviour to their local Police by:

To report information of national security concern, call the NZSIS on 0800 747 224  or use their Public Contribution Form

Crowded places strategy

The New Zealand Government has developed Protecting Our Crowded Places from Attack.

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What is New Zealand doing?

New Zealand is a partner of the Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC) and meets regularly with Australia to coordinate and maintain effective counter-terrorism arrangements. All ... More

Know what to do

We all have a responsibility to keep our crowded places safe.

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How you can help

You can play an important part in keeping yourself and our crowded places safe

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Prepare your crowded place

This tool is designed for owners and operators of crowded places to assess how attractive their location could be to a terrorist, and to get advice on what you can do to reduce the risks.

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Frequently asked questions

If an attack was to occur what do I do? ESCAPE.HIDE.TELL. All situations are different. 

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Useful resources

Further resources that you may find useful.

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