THE EVENT Securing our borders, facilities and public spaces

Following its successful Wellington debut in 2019, Conferenz’s Safe & Secure Facilities & Public Spaces conference is back for 2020. This time, the event brings a pantheon of renowned physical security specialists to Auckland.

Scheduled for 13-14 April at Auckland’s Vodafone Events Centre, Securing NZ’s Borders, Facilities & Public Spaces will focus on key currents shaping today’s security landscape with presentations by renowned local and international practitioners and academics and the latest case studies.

The conference is set to draw together people concerned with safety and security at facilities where people tend to congregate, including council offices, stadiums, gyms, pools, parks, beaches and shopping precincts; hospitals, museums and education facilities; places of worship; transport hubs and vehicles; tourism and travel operators; and government facilities, commercial buildings and critical infrastructure (refineries, tank farms, ports, oil companies, water and gas).

The conference is effectively the 2021 iteration of Conferenz’s successful 2019 offering Safe & Secure Facilities & Public Spaces, but reconfigured for security in the COVID era, extending its public spaces gaze to aviation, the border and managed isolation.

As media reports constantly remind us, things might have started to feel normal, with new strains and continuing outbreaks in the northern hemisphere, the ongoing threat of COVID has not disappeared entirely from our borders. Questions are being asked as to what new or additional measures might be put in place to safeguard public health and protect our people at work, at play, and visiting public spaces.

As part of the event’s international line-up, Dr John Coyne, Head of Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) will explore security at the Australian border. He will discuss how data and technology can be best utilised to improve border security and how temporary and longer-term personnel arrangements can be implemented to beat pandemics swiftly.

While the COVID context has presented the need to treat potentially crowded spaces in an even more complex and diverse way than before, 2020 also saw the September release of the New Zealand Police’s longawaited Protecting our crowded places from attack – New Zealand’s strategy.

Aimed at assisting owners and operators of ‘crowded places’ across New Zealand increase the safety, protection and resilience of their venues, the strategy cascades from the also recently released NZ Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism National Strategy.

Inspector Fleur de Bes, NZ Police’s Prevention Manager - National Security, New Zealand Police, will open Day Two of the conference, providing specialist insights into how the crowded places strategy will work.

Securing NZ’s Borders, Facilities & Public Spaces is co-located with National Safety Leaders’ Summit and Wellbeing at the Front-Line event, and features a jam-packed two-day speaker line up, with just some of the sessions including:

The shifting landscape of Australian aviation security – Clinton McCaughan, General Manager Aviation Security, Queensland Airport Ltd - ISS Facility Services

• Explore the threats to aviation • International and national objectives of Australian aviation security and legislation

• Change in screening to advanced screening using CT technology/ body scanners

• Recognition of firearms and explosives including dangerous goods

Security at national and civic level – funding, collaboration, and strategy – Darroch Todd, Risk Manager, Auckland Unlimited

• An understanding of the decisions to allocate funding to increase safety and security in New Zealand is crucial for security professionals, hear about what is being done at the national and civic level to make this country a safer place.

• Analyse strategy used to react to security threats in the long and short term

• Learn how funding is allocated to various departments and services

• Gain insight into how New Zealand operates security at a national and civic level

Building safer cities – how security technology and architectural design are mitigating harm – Dr Lee Beattie, Deputy Head of School - School of Architecture + Planning , The University of Auckland

• With many of New Zealand’s largest cities undergoing modernisation and transformation, building in security and safety features is becoming increasingly common.

• Innovations in architecture, designing cities to reduce hostile threats

• Integrating innovative security technology into public spaces

• Hostile architecture, security features designed to reduce antisocial behaviour

Cyber-attacks on public infrastructure – the dangers of attacks on infrastructure and the potential physical harm – Philip Whitmore, Partner - Cyber Security, KPMG

• Cyber-attacks are increasing in complexity and threat, with international and domestic hostile agents increasingly targeting critical areas of infrastructure.

• Determine the highest risk areas of infrastructure in New Zealand

• Analyse the potential fallout of a damaging cyber attack • Evaluate the current trends in cyber terrorism

Reviewing the latest developments in the New Zealand security industry – Nicholas Dynon, Chief Editor - New Zealand Security Magazine

• How has the security industry weathered the challenges of 2020? • Where are we now – what challenges and opportunities are there going forward?

• Examining the private security industries involvement in the delivery of Government managed isolation

• Mapping the impact of the pandemic on major events in New Zealand – what’s on in 2021 and what’s not - what does this mean for the security sector?

Legal Clinic: Maintaining public safety within legal parameters – James Warren, Partner, Gretchen Fraser, Senior Associate, Dentons Kensington Swan

• Understanding the rights of the public and your obligations at law is critical to delivering effective security and safety services.

• Understand your obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 when providing security and safety services

• Learn how to avoid breaches of privacy of your personnel and others

• Identify other rights and obligations impacting the role of security organisations and their ability to deliver security effectively and within the law (including mitigating areas of risk)

Shaping the Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM) Architecture and Design Process – Chris Kumeroa, Director, Global Risk Consulting

• Reviewing internal and external events that help shape Security Design

• Key elements of the Security Predesign Phase

• Understanding your organisation’s exposure to security related risks and its security vulnerabilities

• How best to articulate your organisation’s risk profile and vulnerabilities to decision makers

Curated to address our current fast-changing environment, the agenda will feature thoughtprovoking contributions from a wide range of experts from across police, law enforcement, government, legal, sports, venue operators, risk management and the security industry. It’s therefore a must for those responsible for security and safety at NZ’s border, facilities and public spaces, as well as event operators and security professionals from across New Zealand.

For more information, visit www. conferenz.co.nz.