Source: Radio New Zealand
NZSIS Director General Andrew Hampton. VNP/Louis Collins
The terror threat level to New Zealand has not changed – but the language used to describe it has.
Following a review by the Combined Threat Assessment Group (an inter-agency group led by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service), the threat level has been assessed as “possible,” which is equivalent to the previous level of “low.”
The NZSIS explained the change in language reflected efforts to explain the threat level in a more meaningful and accessible way to the public.
Director-General of Security Andrew Hampton said the designation ‘possible’ was exactly what it said.
“A terrorist attack in New Zealand is assessed as possible. This is something we should all be concerned about.”
Hampton said the NZSIS had talked about the deteriorating global threat environment “for some time,” and that was continuing.
“We are not yet at a point where the impact of this on New Zealand requires a change in our domestic terrorism threat level, but we are dealing with increasing complexities which makes it harder to detect terrorism threats.
“Although the terrorism threat level remains unchanged, we should not be complacent. A small number of individuals in New Zealand continue to express intent to undertake an act of violent extremism. Some almost certainly have access to the basic capabilities needed to carry out an attack.”
New Zealand’s terror threat level has not changed since November 2022.
The new definitions were expected, highly likely, likely, possible, and unlikely, replacing extreme, high, medium, low, and very low.
Last year, the NZSIS Security Threat Environment report said New Zealand was facing the most challenging national security environment of recent times, with foreign interference, espionage, and online radicalisation all highlighted as threats.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
