Case Study - Securing Auckland's Premium Venues

Background

Note that in December 2020, RFA merged with Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) to form the new Tataki Auckland Unlimited.

Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA) was an Auckland Council-controlled organisation with six separate divisions. These divisions created programs, events and spaces, delivering rewarding experiences for over four million visitors every year.

The six divisions were:

• Auckland Art Gallery
• Auckland Conventions
• Auckland Live (Aotea Centre, Aotea Square, Auckland Town Hall, Bruce Mason Centre, The Civic and Queens Wharf)
• Auckland Stadiums (Mt Smart Stadium, North Harbour Stadium and Western Springs Stadium)
• Auckland Zoo
• New Zealand Maritime Museum

Despite managing the premium event spaces within Auckland, there was no organisational security strategy and existing security assets were significantly outdated.

While some venues had undertaken minor upgrades in recent years, the majority of systems were disjointed, poorly understood, and failing to provide the level of safety and security expected by staff and patrons.

SaferCities Engagement

SaferCities was engaged by the RFA security team to lead the security transformation, developing an organisational security strategy that considered the dynamic nature of each venue.

SaferCities' full consultancy approach was deployed in the below steps:

1. Document requirements with consideration for the different purposes of each venue

   1. This involved significant collaboration with corporate security teams, ICT, division directors and onsite security and facilities teams

2. Audit the current state of all 12 venues & satellite facilities and produce comprehensive current state documentation

   1. At almost all sites, there was no documentation of existing systems, including records of basic information such as the number of cameras currently installed
   2. Large sites such as Auckland Zoo required 3 full days on site just to gather information on the existing system
   3. Following documentation, a detailed gap analysis was undertaken against the requirements
   4. Sites were then ranked using a traffic light system to allow funding prioritisation

3. Future state design of all venues and facilities, including allowance for network upgrades, camera replacements, new cameras and new enterprise architecture

   1. Detailed design work included marking camera locations on satellite images and floorplans, as well as specifying exact mounting locations and height
   2. Additionally, SaferCities documented recommended access control and intrusion detection system upgrades from another consultant, to provide RFA with a holistic understanding of all security systems on site
   3. The final design included budgetary costings, enabling the detailed business case to be approved and the capital project to proceed to procurement

4. Assisted with Procurement by creating tender documentation, scoring and questions, reviewing EOI and RFP responses, facilitating site visits and assisting with contract negotiation

   1. A two-stage tender process was run, beginning with an open market Expressions of Interest (EOI) to shortlist the 29 respondents to six invited to the RFP
   2. The six integrators shortlisted for the RFP were then invited to site walks at all twelve venues. This was led by SaferCities; explaining the locations, constraints and requirements for over 500 cameras
   3. The six proposals were evaluated individually by the 12 tender panel members, then deliberated over in a series of workshops
   4. Following scoring, detailed price comparison, presentation and further evaluation, Evotek Technologies were selected as RFA's Security Integrator for their CCTV and Access Control Upgrade

5. Project Governance and Oversight

   1. While the project had dedicated full-time project managers, SaferCities remained involved to provide technical insight and assistance
   2. The dynamic nature of these sites required careful implementation planning and well-considered design changes, particularly as some sites were simultaneously undergoing renovation

6. Certification and Signoff

   1. As sites were completed by the CCTV Integrator, SaferCities would independently assess compliance with the requirements and design. This included reviewing the physical installation of all equipment, camera field of views and type, configuration and commissioning within the Video Management System, and review of all as-built documentation
   2. Following resolution of any issues, SaferCities would produce a formal sign-off, allowing the site to be accepted as complete. Identifying issues prior to handover enabled RFA to minimise risk and ensure quality

Conclusion

This project presented several unique challenges that required significant planning and coordination. For example, Auckland Town Hall, The Civic, and Shed 10 are all heritage buildings with strict requirements around modifications. Camera installation was reviewed and agreed upon by heritage building advisors, and in front-of-house areas, cameras were themed to match the environment.

SaferCities’ experience and involvement from project commencement to completion proved invaluable for Regional Facilities Auckland.

What we did