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Australian police suspend use of vehicle-tracking camera system used in NZ

Published

3 years ago

July 24, 2023

A camera system for tracking vehicles used by police in New Zealand thousands of times a month has been suspended by police in Australia.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) had been letting more than 100 staff use the system despite not doing a privacy assessment, media reports said.

The system links thousands of cameras in an automated number plate recognition (ANPR) web run by Auckland company Auror, aimed at combating retail crime.

New Zealand Police run a third of a million checks a year on the system, and more than 6000 staff can access it. They have done their own privacy impact assessment.

Police were also forced to do an audit earlier this year after admitting to twice tracking cars, in 2020 and 2021, when they should not have.

The audit found a very few instances of misuse by staff.

“Following this work we have made significant progress to further strengthen our controls, update relevant policies, and undertake regular auditing for use of this type of technology, so we do not currently have plans to suspend our use of Auror,” Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson told RNZ in a statement last week.

In Australia, it was reported AFP staff began using Auror before police leadership became aware of it, and without any formal partnership. Auror told RNZ formal partnership agreements were not required “given the platform’s well-established safeguards”.

“Only approved police members can be added to the platform,” it said, though adding most state police forces did have a formal partnership agreement.

“The platform enhances police’s privacy practices. If AFP wants to review their internal processes, we’re happy for them to do so,” the company said in a statement.

Johnson said local police would consider the findings of the AFP’s assessment once it was completed.

“New Zealand Police has been working closely with Auror and the Privacy Commissioner around the safe use of this technology,” he said.

The Privacy Foundation called for the police to think again.

“I am pleased the ad hoc, ill-considered use by Australian Federal Police of systems such as Auror has been suspended,” spokesperson Gehan Gunasekara said. “I hope the NZ Police will take heed and follow suit.”

ANPR systems could too easily morph into mass surveillance “as and when needed by police”, he said, and it was crucial to know who was accountable for misuse – police or Auror.

“I would argue both … under our Privacy Act there may be liability all-round,” Gunasekara said.

Auror’s website trumpets deployment by police forces in New Zealand, Australia and the US.

Emails within the AFP, displayed by news website Crikey, had the subject line: “Get started on Auror!” In South Australia, Auror said, a small retail crime team had made 489 arrests helped by its cameras.

In New Zealand, it had helped in laying 1000 charges against 178 people by the six-strong National Retail Investigation Support Unit set up last year, Auror said.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner called ANPR “a powerful surveillance and intelligence tool” and a “high-risk” technology.

“The Australian experience reported here seems to indicate a privacy assessment had not been finalised,” it told RNZ in a statement.

It had advised police in New Zealand about the commissioner’s “clear expectations about how the police will use this technology”, to collect personal information “in a way that has a clear, legal purpose and is proportionate”.

“Access safeguards, audit processes and employee training are key.”

NZ privacy impact assessment findings
The privacy impact assessment focused on police needing to introduce rigorous controls “that identify and prevent inappropriate behaviour before access occurs, as well as post-event audits”.

The assessment was completed in April 2023, when police had routinely been accessing the cameras thousands of times a month.

Previously police had released only the front pages of the assessment, but now the whole [https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/privacy-impact-assessment-police-use-anpr-platforms-simply-privacy.pdf 42-page document is on its website.

“ANPR data provides a significant record of a vehicle’s – and by extension the owner/driver’s – whereabouts at a given time or over time,” the assessment stated.

Police had to “minimise the risks of unnecessary collection of personal information”.

This was most important when the cameras were used to actually track a vehicle in real-time, as opposed to their much more common uses of flagging shoplifters’ cars to retailers, raising immediate alerts about stolen cars, or letting police look through recorded footage to spot vehicles as part of investigations, it said.

Tracking requires a warrant, the other uses do not.

As so often with technology, ANPR’s effectiveness is enhanced by data access ‘creep’.

The police compare the footage with Waka Kotahi’s vehicle and driver registers.

“Police therefore have access to a range of data sources that in various combinations provide information that is demonstrably information about individuals.”

The assessment – echoing Gunasekara – said police and Auror were both liable to make sure ANPR’s use was legal.

ANPR is controversial globally. Seventeen US states had laws expressly about ANPR prompted by concerns around racial impact bias, mass surveillance, inaccurate results, improper data retention and lack of regulation, the privacy assessment noted.

ANPR was part of a massive web of CCTV cameras in the UK, it said. There, the decade-old office of the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, and the country’s Surveillance Camera Code, are poised to be abolished “with no suggestion about what might replace the code of practice, if anything”. The Commissioner has accused government agencies of ignoring UK surveillance laws due a “culture of non-deletion”.

By contrast, “unlike the US and the UK, New Zealand does not currently have any legislation specifically targeted at CCTV or ANPR usage”, the New Zealand police privacy impact assessment said.

“Furthermore, guidelines issued by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner in 2009 entitled Privacy and CCTV: A guide to the Privacy Act for businesses, agencies and organisations do not reference ANPR. Key concerns associated with ANPR in a New Zealand context include mass surveillance and police misuse of ANPR data and systems.”

VIA RNZ

Latest News

Police say person who fired gun at officers still at large

Published

2 days ago

November 12, 2026

News Staff

Police say a person who fired a gun at officers in Napier is still at large.

Eastern District Commander Superintendent Joel Lamb said Police tried to stop a vehicle in the Pirimai Area at about 10pm on Tuesday.

He said someone in the back seat pointed what was presumed to be a firearm at officers pursuing the vehicle.

“Staff have then heard two distinct gunshots as the firearm was discharged.

“Fortunately, neither of our officers were injured, and the patrol vehicle did not sustain any damage.”

He said hours later, the vehicle was seen travelling north on the Waikato Expressway towards Auckland.

Police seized the vehicle at an address in Manurewa, but they had not found the alleged offender.

Lamb said people who lived at the Manurewa address were engaging with Police.

He said Eastern District and Counties Manukau Police were making enquiries.

“Presenting a firearm at a Police officer is a serious escalation that puts our staff and the wider community at risk. This behaviour is entirely unacceptable.

“We are taking this incident extremely seriously and will be pursuing all lines of enquiry to locate the offender and hold them accountable.”

Police asked anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Police on 105 or online using the reference number 261111/3764.

Information could also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

rnz

Latest News

New Zealand sides named for RLWC finals

Published

3 days ago

November 11, 2026

News Staff

The players tasked with ending Australia’s Rugby League World Cup dominance have been named.

The Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns have announced their squads for this Sunday’s World Cup finals in Brisbane.

Both sides are chasing their first titles since 2008, and both are looking to end their opponents run of three crowns in a row.

“Our Kiwi Ferns have been so dominant in years gone by, and we want to bring dominance back to this jersey, so I think it will be a case of who wants it more,” said co-captain Georgia Hale of the impending clash.

The Kiwis get a major boost for the final as they welcome back Ronaldo Mulitalo after he served a one-match ban for a high tackle against Fiji Bati.

Mulitalo replaces Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who moves to the six-man bench, which again includes utility Te Maire Martin, middle forwards Naufahu Whyte, Erin Clark and Xavier Willison plus fullback Keano Kini.

Loose forward Joseph Tapine will make his 30th Test appearance in a familiar pack again, including second-rowers Isaiah Papali’i and Briton Nikora, and props James Fisher-Harris and Moses Leota.

Winger Jamayne Isaako is on the cusp of claiming the New Zealand record for most Test points.

His five goals against Tonga lifted his career points tally to 225 – level with Shaun Johnson – while centre Casey McLean goes into the final with 16 tries in just eight Tests.

Fisher-Harris will again captain the team.

Fullback Ponga said the goal of the group was clear.

“We have high expectations around what we want to achieve, and obviously winning a world Cup is one of them.”

Meanwhile, Ricky Henry has selected a settled side to take on the Jillaroos, led by their lethal centre combination of Stacey Waaka and Mele Hufanga.

Veteran Apii Nicholls takes the number one jersey, Leianne Tufuga and Mackenzie Wiki on the wings.

Henry has stuck with his halves pairing of Chantay Kiria-Ratu and Raecene McGregor with Alexis Tauaneai, Georgia Hale and Otesa Pule up front.

Rounding out the starting pack is Shaniece Monschau, Kaiyah Atai, and Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa.

“We have been building well throughout the tournament; we understand the Jillaroos side, and will give it our all to make New Zealand proud this weekend,” said Henry.

RLWC Finals:

Kiwi Ferns vs Jillaroos- 6.10pm

Kiwis vs Kangaroos – 9.35pm

Sunday November 15

Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Live blog updates on RNZ

Kiwi Ferns:

1. Apii Nicholls 2. Leianne Tufuga 3. Mele Hufanga 4. Stacey Waaka 5. Mackenzie Wiki 6. Chantay Kiria-Ratu 7. Raecene McGregor 8. Alexis Tauaneai 9. Georgia Hale 10. Otesa Pule 11. Shaniece Monschau 12. Kaiyah Atai 13. Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa.

Interchange: 14. Ashleigh Quinlan 15. Annessa Biddle 16. Shannon Mato 17. Ivana Lauitiiti.

Reserves: 18. Brooke Anderson 19. Zahara Temara 20. Brianna Clark 21. Abigail Roache 22. Tenika Willison.

Kiwis:

1. Kalyn Ponga, 2. Jamayne Isaako, 3. Dane Gagai, 4. Casey McLean, 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6. Kodi Nikorima, 7. Jahrome Hughes, 8. James Fisher-Harris (c), 9. Jeremy Marshall-King, 10. Moses Leota, 11. Isaiah Papali’i, 12. Briton Nikora, 13. Joseph Tapine (v/c).

Interchange: 14. Te Maire Martin, 15. Naufahu Whyte, 16. Erin Clark, 17. Xavier Willison.

Reserves: 18. Keano Kini, 19. Phoenix Crossland, 20. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 21. Scott Sorensen, 22. Leo Thompson.

rnz

Latest News

Parliamentary Service working on extra chairs and offices for increased number of MPs

Published

3 days ago

November 11, 2026

News Staff

The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.

On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.

Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.

In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.

“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.

“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”

Chief Executive of the Parliamentary Service Rafael Gonzalez-Montero appears before select committee. — Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero.

VNP / Phil Smith

Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.

That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.

“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.

Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.

Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.

The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.

Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.

Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.

“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”

Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.

rnz