Understanding Your Obligations When Hosting Public Events
The Crowded Places Security Advisory Group
Having a passion for the Crowded Places Strategy, OPSEC understands that New Zealand's current terrorism threat level is assessed as "low"— but low doesn't mean zero risk. Event organisers and owners or organisers have both legal obligations and moral responsibilities to protect their people, attendees and the public at large.
What Constitutes a Crowded Place
Crowded places are locations that large numbers of people access easily and predictably. These include schools, shopping centres, sporting venues, places of worship, entertainment venues, transport hubs, tourist attractions, and civic spaces. The definition can change depending on time and circumstances—a normally quiet venue becomes a crowded place during an event.
Your Legal Obligations Under Health and Safety Legislation
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 establishes clear duties for event organisers. Workers and others should be given the highest level of protection from workplace health and safety risks as is reasonably practicable. This extends beyond traditional workplace scenarios to public events where:
Risk assessment is mandatory for all potential hazards, including security threats
Emergency planning must be comprehensive and tested before events
Staff training is required on security awareness and emergency response
Visitor safety is paramount including protection from potential attacks
Event organisers are considered Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) and must ensure the safety of workers, volunteers, and the public attending their events.
The Crowded Places Strategy Framework
New Zealand Police leads the implementation of "Protecting Our Crowded Places from Attack: New Zealand's Strategy," which provides tools to help owners and operators of crowded places reduce the chance of an attack occurring and lessen its consequences. The strategy encourages understanding how to Deter, Detect, Delay and Respond to potential attacks.
The strategy includes self-assessment tools, security audit guidelines, and specific threat guidance covering vehicular attacks, chemical threats, improvised explosive devices, and active shooter scenarios. Where risk assessments identify significant concerns, specialist security advice is recommended.
Why Professional Security Consultation Matters
CPSAG member consultants bring critical expertise to event security planning. Professional security consultants can provide impartial advice on implementing layered security measures proportionate to the assessed risk level. This includes:
Threat assessment specific to your venue and event type, considering factors that might make your event attractive to attackers.
Security planning that integrates seamlessly with your event operations without creating unnecessary barriers to public enjoyment.
Staff preparation ensuring your team understands their role in maintaining security awareness and responding appropriately to incidents.
Emergency response coordination with local police and emergency services, ensuring clear communication protocols exist.
Beyond legal compliance, effective security planning protects your organisation's reputation and ensures community confidence in attending future events. Poor security planning can result in:
Serious harm to attendees and staff
Significant legal and financial liability
Permanent damage to organisational reputation
Loss of community trust and future participation
Conversely, well-planned security that operates transparently creates an environment where people feel safe to participate in community activities.
Building Security Awareness Without Fear
Effective crowded places security doesn't require turning events into fortress-like environments. The goal is building appropriate awareness and preparedness that operates largely invisibly to attendees whilst ensuring staff and volunteers understand their roles in maintaining safety.
This includes training staff to recognise and report suspicious behaviour, implementing proportionate access controls, and ensuring clear evacuation procedures exist—all whilst maintaining the welcoming atmosphere that makes community events valuable.
The Bottom Line
Whether you're organising a school fair, community festival, sporting event, or fundraising gathering, understanding your security obligations isn't optional. The combination of Health and Safety at Work Act requirements and the Crowded Places Strategy creates clear expectations for event organisers.
Professional security consultation ensures you meet these obligations whilst maintaining the community spirit that makes New Zealand events special. OPSEC staff involved in CPSAG means we understand both the regulatory framework and practical implementation challenges facing event organisers throughout the country.
Are you confident your next event meets both legal requirements and community expectations for safety and security?
Contact us about our Operations services today if you have a large-scale event coming up, and you need help understanding how to best keep everyone who’s attending safe.