New Zealand Security Intelligence Service - Organisation

Organisation

The SIS is based in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. It also has branches in Auckland and Christchurch. It has between 110 and 140 permanent staff, somewhat less than the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) – New Zealand's other significant intelligence agency. At around 43.5 million New Zealand dollars, its budget is higher than that of the GCSB.

The SIS has connections with foreign intelligence organisations, particularly in the United Kingdom and Australia.

The SIS is headed by the Director of Security, and is watched over by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security and the Intelligence and Security Committee. The SIS itself reports to a Cabinet minister with responsibility for intelligence (traditionally the Prime Minister).

The New Zealand government established the SIS in 1956. An Act of Parliament covering it, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service Act, was passed in 1969. Various amendments have since been made to the Security Intelligence Act – the most controversial probably Robert Muldoon's 1977 amendment, which expanded the SIS's powers of monitoring considerably. The 1977 amendment saw sizable protests outside Parliament.

Many claim that extensive political and judicial oversight are necessary to keep agencies on task, and to ensure that limited intelligence-gathering resources are not wasted.

Members of the public can report information of security concern to the NZSIS by telephone by calling 0800-SIS-224 (0800-747-224). Note that the New Zealand Police is responsible for the operational response to terrorism in New Zealand, and is the most appropriate government agency for the public to contact in the instance of an imminent threat to life or property.