Places of mass gathering
Places or venues where large numbers of people gather are referred to as ‘places of mass gathering’. It is believed some of these might present an opportunity for terrorists to cause a large number of deaths and injuries from an attack.
These places by their nature allow public access, and many forms of security that are applied in the protection of critical infrastructure may not be appropriate for protecting places of mass gathering.
Places of mass gathering may include but are not limited to:
- Sporting venues
- Shopping complexes/open air markets
- Tourism and entertainment venues/attractions
- Cultural facilities
- Hotels and convention centres
- Public transport hubs
- Major planned events
They are characterised by the concentration of people on a predictable basis, in venues or precincts that are open or enclosed.
Identification of places of mass gathering is based on attractiveness and not on a specific quantity of people. Given the pervasive threat to a diverse range of targets, the criteria for determining attractive places of mass gathering cannot be precise.
Places of mass gathering are an attractive target for terrorists. By their very nature, these places normally encourage access for the general public with a minimum of security controls. This presents terrorists with various potential opportunities for mass casualties, symbolism, high impact imagery and economic loss.
A nationally consistent approach has been endorsed by the National Counter–Terrorism Committee (NCTC) to address the threat of terrorism in relation to the protection of places of mass gathering.
Are you the owner or operator of a place of mass gathering?
An online questionnaire has been developed to assist owners and operators with assessing their mass gathering’s level of potential attractiveness to terrorists.
The Mass Gatherings Guided Self–Assessment was nationally developed for business to help assess their level of attractiveness to terrorists and to provide advice on the level of engagement, guidance and/or support that may be required from government.
The NSW Government has tailored this tool to make it suitable for NSW businesses. The NSW Mass Gatherings Guided Self–Assessment Tool is running as a trial through this website for business owner/operators. By completing this tool you will have an indication of your mass gathering's level of attractiveness and will be provided with appropriate guidance strategies.
We will be reviewing the tool in line with feedback received during this trial. If you have any comments please provide them through our feedback form.