Winz staff facing two threats a week

There were 305 security incidents across Work and Income's Whangarei, Dargaville, Kaikohe, Kerikeri, Kawakawa and Kamo offices. Photo / Michael Cunningham

More than 300 security incidents have been reported at Northland Work and Income offices in the past three years, official figures show.

Given there are about 250 working days each year, on average there has been a reported incident every two-and-a-half days.

The figures were released to the Northern Advocate under the Official Information Act, as a trial looms after a shooting tragedy at the Ashburton Work and Income office last year. Russell John Tully, 48, is accused of entering that Work and Income in September and opening fire on four women, resulting in two deaths.

His trial was due to begin in the Christchurch High Court on May 11 but has been deferred, the reason being suppressed.

Between 2012 and 2014, there were 305 security incidents across Work and Income's Whangarei, Dargaville, Kaikohe, Kerikeri, Kawakawa and Kamo offices.

Ten of the incidents were "serious" and 40 required police intervention.

•"Critical" incidents included death, serious injury requiring hospitalisation, bomb threats and arson.

•"Serious" incidents included physical harm requiring medical treatments, threats made with an intention to harm, stalking or intimidation of staff.

•"Moderate" incidents included assaults where there was no injury, aggression and abuse.

•"Minor" incidents were all other incidents that impacted the safety of staff and clients, or impacted the physical security of ministry assets, information or data.

Work and Income deputy chief executive Dorothy Adams said every threat was taken seriously and dealt with swiftly by ministry staff and police.

"It is unacceptable for people to threaten ministry staff who are carrying out their professional duties," she said.

"On September 1, 2014, the ministry introduced a zero-tolerance policy towards abusive and violent behaviour against staff.

"The implementation of this policy resulted in an increase in reported incidents in 2014."

WorkSafe filed a charge against the Ministry of Social Development after the Ashburton incident.

The ministry commissioned an independent security review, and added more than 250 additional security staff to sites as well as putting in new security processes.

Each site has at least two security guards who can ask people to provide proof of identity and decline access if they present as a risk.

Nationally, there were more than 8000 security incidents at Work and Income sites in the past three years - about 10 every working day on average. More than 1300 of the incidents required police intervention.

Thirty one of the incidents were "critical" and more than 850 were serious.