How secure are we?

Security some of New Zealand's potential terrorism targets is so slack that a strike could be as simple as leaving a backpack unattended in a Parliamentary bathroom.

Australia is on high alert after threats of terrorism, but an experiment conducted by the Herald on Sunday found major holes in security at Parliament, Te Papa, Britomart, Sky Tower and the Ports of Auckland.

At each site, a person left a backpack in a prominent place. They were told to do nothing illegal and to keep an eye on the backpack at all times. In almost all cases, security guards ignored them.

However, security was extremely tight at Auckland Airport - one of the most likely targets for a terrorist attack in New Zealand.

The airport's perimeter fence could not be breached and there was no other obvious access to the tarmac.

Jim Veitch, a terrorism expert from Victoria University, said New Zealanders would have a "laid-back" attitude to security until we had a terrorist strike here.

"In New Zealand, we hope like hell that, from our international policies, we don't attract too much attention. When [a terrorist strike] happens, we'll get serious."

Mr Veitch said New Zealanders needed to realise that the threats were global and New Zealand was not necessarily safe.

Seemingly small things, such as a backpack left in a train station, should immediately trigger security.

"Absolutely, that's the number one thing to look for; it's number one," he said.

At Te Papa, an actor carried a large blue and black backpack to the cafe on the fourth floor, left it in plain view on a bench and waited about 5m away.

In the 25 minutes he left the bag unattended, Te Papa staff and security walked straight past without inspecting it.

Paul Brewer, marketing director at Te Papa, said several staff had told him the bag had been removed to the lost and found area. But our actor said the bag was not touched - he had walked out with it without being approached.

On Thursday, a reporter left a daypack on the floor of Britomart's Platform 1 for nine minutes without attracting any interest.

Members of the public walked past the bag on their way to board a train, but none seemed to notice it.

The reporter was leaving with the bag when a security guard, attracted by the noise of the photographer's shutter, started to follow them out. They were not approached.

Britomart manager Ray Steel said staff were trained to notice suspicious-looking bags left on platforms and the Australian alert had "obviously" influenced security.

"Anything that's left unattended is a concern, yes."

On the same afternoon, a Sky Tower security guard walked past an abandoned backpack twice without seeming to notice it.

The bag was left on a bench in the main observation deck and watched, from a distance, by a reporter for about seven minutes. The guard walked within 1m of the bag after five minutes and then again a minute later, but did not appear to notice it.

The reporter left with the bag without being approached.

Paul Gregory, communications manager for Sky City, said security guards acted on instinct and would observe suspicious bags, rather than picking them up.

He said many of the Sky Tower's daily 12,500 visitors carried backpacks and would often put them down to take photos.

A reporter wearing a backpack could have walked through an open security gate at the Customs scanning area beside the Ports of Auckland. The gate opened into an area where one worker was busy under a large container used for x-raying.

Mike Bladman, port head of security, said the area was controlled by Customs and the port was on a level one, or "normal", security rating at the time. He would not say whether the gate would be shut if the security level changed.

Communications manager Karen Bradshaw said usually guards would be stationed in each corner of the Customs area and there was an electric fence between the Customs area and the port.

Security at Parliament was also partially breached.

An actor wearing a backpack and carrying a cellphone - both forbidden for tour groups - mingled with a group and walked past security guards.

After about five minutes the tour leader noticed the bag and sent him back, unaccompanied, to check it in at reception. Our actor tried to veer off the tour group's path, but was blocked by locked doors.

Rejoining the group, he took a call on his cellphone and tried to duck out of the room to talk, but was accompanied by a staff member to reception.

Elsewhere in Parliament, security was tighter. When he tried to enter the building through a rear entrance our actor was refused access by a security guard. Parliamentary Services was asked for comment, but did not return calls. 

- HERALD ON SUNDAY