Ashburton shooting report

Flowers being placed across the street from the Ashburton Winz office where three staff members were shot. Photo / Mark Mitchell

A review of security at the Ministry of Social Development, prompted by last year's deadly shooting at the Ashburton Work and Income office, has found tighter security would not have prevented the incident.

The review, released today, outlines 12 recommendations for security improvement at the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).

Former New Zealand police commissioner Rob Robinson and Deloitte New Zealand chairman Murray Jack carried out the review after the September 1 shooting.

Work and Income front counter workers Peggy Noble, 67, and Leigh Cleveland, 55, were killed in the incident.

Homeless man Russell John Tully is facing murder charges over the pair's deaths.

A third WINZ worker, 43-year-old Lindy Louise Curtis, was also shot and badly injured in the incident.

Tully is facing an attempted murder charge in relation to Curtis' injuries.

Mr Robinson and Mr Jack stated in the review report that the MSD's approach to safety and security needed to be more cohesively planned and formalised.

Recommendations included investigating whether some of MSD's services which tended "to create tension or volatile situations" could be effectively provided in non face-to-face ways.

A review into how security guards were deployed at MSD's sites, what skills were required by security guards and activities that security guards should carry out was also recommended.

The report also found the Ashburton shooting was an "extreme event" and not preventable.

Even if all the recommendations detailed were implemented, "extreme events could still occur", Mr Robinson and Mr Jack stated.