The security strategy behind Christchurch stadium’s event day cones

Monday, 13 July 2026

A risk assessment of Christchurch’s new stadium must stay secret in order to protect national security, the city council says. (File photo)

In the wake of criticism about “confusing” signage and “grossly excessive” street closures around Christchurch’s stadium, a senior police officer says visible traffic management is a crucial step for protecting crowds.

“It’s not just about stopping someone getting in there to commit a really, really horrendous act,” Senior Sergeant Richard Scott said.

Scott, who spoke to The Press about crowd protection generally and could not comment specifically on the case of One New Zealand Stadium, said road cones, barriers and standard signage “should filter out the good people from … someone who is committed to cause a problem”.

“It’s going to stop someone who’s having a medical event, who’s hit the accelerator rather than the brake. It’s going to stop someone who could be drugged or alcohol fuelled behind the wheel. It could stop someone who’s committing another criminal act.”

The threat to safety did not need to be pre-meditated. A year ago in Liverpool, a father-of-three used his car to plough into 130 people after he “lost his temper” in the city centre trying to collect his friends from a parade. His 31 charges included causing grievous bodily harm, and victims ranged from an infant to the elderly, landing him more than 21 years in jail.

Scott’s role with New Zealand police includes educating businesses and communities about New Zealand’s crowded places strategy, part of a wider counter-terrorism and violent extremism strategy developed in the wake of the 2019 Christchurch terror attack.

Threat assessments are understood to factor in crowd density and how iconic or symbolic a location is. (File photo)

The counter-terrorism strategy mentions the role of the private sector in taking additional measures to protect people on sites that may be seen as symbolic and therefore a potential target.

Although Venues Ōtautahi’s (VŌ) traffic management plan was understood to have been amended ahead of the stadium opening because of police’s risk assessment, Scott said their recommendations were not binding.

“We’re not telling them [people who want to run events] what to do. We’re saying, ‘hey, here’s a strategy. Here are the reasons why it exists’,” Scott said.

Venues Ōtautahi began planning traffic management more than a year before the stadium opened.

The Press requested the temporary traffic management plan for the sold-out opening Once In A Lifetime concert headlined by Six60 and Synthony at the new stadium on May 16 to better understand what went on behind the scenes.

After initially refusing the request for public safety reasons, a redacted version was released by the Christchurch City Council under official information laws.

VŌ’s planning appeared to be extensive, with the first traffic management meeting dating some 15 months before the stadium opened.

Crowd protection measures were in place for 13 hours on the day of the new stadium’s first concert, on May 16.

A week ahead of the concert, traffic management measures began kicking in with signs alerting motorists to coming changes.

Two days before, signs were installed to warn motorists about future parking restrictions. By 2pm on Saturday, three hours before the event started, the city council deployed two parking enforcement officers to check for unauthorised cars which, if found, would be towed to VŌ-managed Apollo Projects Stadium or Horncastle Arena.

An hour earlier, at 1pm, about 16 traffic management staff began installing temporary barriers at key locations, and parking special vehicles to block entry points.

Workers were then stationed at the closure points to manage access and observe, while VŌ security personnel patrolled the precinct.

Meanwhile, a Christchurch City Council team used security cameras to monitor surrounding streets, and VŌ operated surveillance cameras within the stadium precinct.

By 2am all temporary traffic management and “hostile vehicle mitigation measures” were removed.

As previously reported, the council’s $34 million upgrade of the streets around the stadium was designed, in part, to avoid VŌ needing to close surrounding roads.

VŌ chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said earlier in the year that although street closures for large events would increase costs for the council-controlled organisation, costs would be absorbed and not passed on to ratepayers and venue hirers.

Council transport staff have told elected members they would closely monitor major events and take note of opportunities to reduce the burden of traffic management.