The Australian Government’s crowded places strategy uses a specific definition. A crowded place is any location that is easily accessible by large numbers of people on a predictable basis. That definition is deliberately broad. It includes shopping centres, transport hubs, stadiums, hotels, hospitals, schools, parks, civic precincts, places of worship, and major event venues.
Because of this breadth, crowded places obligations apply to far more organisations than most people realise. If you manage a publicly accessible facility that attracts significant foot traffic, you likely fall within scope — regardless of whether you’ve formally considered it.
A crowded places security assessment gives you a structured, independent view of how your venue, precinct, or public space measures up against the Australian Government’s expectations. At Smartsec, we conduct independent crowded places security assessments for venue operators, councils, precinct managers, and facility owners across Perth and regional WA. Because we don’t sell products or install systems, our advice is based entirely on your risk environment — not on a commercial interest in the outcome.
Why Crowded Places Security Is a Distinct Discipline
Crowded places carry risks that standard facility security assessments don’t fully capture. The reason is straightforward — most security assessments focus on protecting an organisation’s assets and people from conventional threats like theft, unauthorised access, and workplace violence.
Crowded places assessments address a wider threat picture. Because crowded places are inherently accessible to large numbers of people, they attract a specific threat profile that includes mass casualty events, vehicle-borne attacks, and deliberate targeting of public gatherings. The Australian Government’s crowded places strategy was developed specifically in response to this threat profile — and it sets clear expectations for venue owners and operators about how that risk should be managed.
The duty of care dimension
Venue owners and operators carry a duty of care to the people who use their space. Because that duty of care extends to foreseeable risks — including the risk of targeted attack in a publicly accessible location — organisations that haven’t formally assessed their crowded places risk are potentially exposed.
However, meeting that duty of care doesn’t mean turning every public space into a fortress. The crowded places framework is explicitly proportionate. It expects organisations to understand their risk, implement reasonable measures, and demonstrate that they’ve thought carefully about the safety of the people in their space. An independent assessment provides that documented evidence.
The planning and approval dimension
Across Perth and WA, planning authorities and development assessment panels increasingly expect developments that create or expand crowded places to address security at the design stage. Because retrofitting crowded places security measures after a building is complete is significantly more expensive than designing them in from the start, independent assessment early in the planning process produces meaningfully better outcomes.
Who Needs a Crowded Places Security Assessment
Several types of organisations in Perth commission crowded places security assessments consistently.
Shopping centres and retail precincts
Shopping centres are among the most common crowded places in any urban environment. Because they combine high foot traffic, multiple tenancies, complex access arrangements, and predictable peak periods, their security risk profile is genuinely complex. We assess entry and perimeter arrangements, hostile vehicle exposure, CCTV coverage, emergency management procedures, and the interaction between centre management, individual tenants, and contracted security providers.
Transport hubs and interchange facilities
Bus stations, train stations, ferry terminals, and airport facilities are crowded places by definition. Because they also serve as nodes in critical transport networks, their security carries consequences beyond the immediate facility. We assess access control, surveillance coverage, passenger flow management, hostile vehicle risk, and emergency response arrangements against the specific expectations of the crowded places framework.
Entertainment and hospitality venues
Stadiums, concert venues, theatres, hotels, and large hospitality facilities all fall within the crowded places definition. Because these venues often operate under liquor licensing conditions and manage large crowds during evening and weekend periods, their security arrangements need to address both the crowded places framework and the specific risks of their operational context.
Civic precincts and public spaces
Councils managing civic precincts, foreshore areas, markets, laneways, and community facilities need to understand their crowded places obligations. Because many of these spaces are genuinely open and publicly accessible, the security measures available are different to those at a controlled-entry venue. We assess how the existing environment can be hardened proportionately — through HVM, lighting, surveillance, and design — without compromising the openness and amenity that makes these spaces valuable.
Places of worship
Churches, mosques, temples, and other places of worship are explicitly identified in the Australian Government’s crowded places guidance. Because they are often open, welcoming environments that attract predictable gatherings at regular times, they carry a specific vulnerability that the crowded places framework addresses directly.
Developers and planning applicants
Developers proposing new shopping centres, mixed-use precincts, transport interchanges, or entertainment venues increasingly need to address crowded places security as part of their planning application. Because the Australian Government’s guidance is increasingly referenced by planning authorities and development assessment panels, independent assessment at design stage supports approval and reduces the likelihood of conditions being imposed.
What a Crowded Places Security Assessment Covers
Every assessment Smartsec conducts is tailored to the specific venue, precinct, or public space. However, several core areas feature consistently across most crowded places assessments.
Site characterisation and threat assessment
We begin by characterising your site — its layout, access arrangements, peak occupancy periods, and the nature of the people who use it. We then identify the credible threats relevant to your specific environment. Because the crowded places framework distinguishes between different threat types — opportunistic crime, targeted attack, vehicle-borne threats, and mass casualty scenarios — this step shapes everything that follows.
Perimeter and access assessment
We assess how effectively your perimeter separates the public realm from controlled areas. We look at whether entry and exit points support appropriate crowd management during normal operations and effective emergency response during incidents. We also assess whether your perimeter creates vehicle standoff distance or leaves pedestrian areas exposed to vehicle-borne attack.
Hostile vehicle mitigation
HVM is a core element of most crowded places assessments. Because vehicle attacks on crowded public spaces have occurred in Australia — including the 2017 Bourke Street incident in Melbourne — the Australian Government’s guidance specifically addresses vehicle-borne threat as a crowded places risk.
We assess your site’s exposure to vehicle-borne attack, identify realistic attack vectors given your specific layout, and recommend proportionate HVM measures aligned with ISO 22343-1:2023. Because HVM solutions range from purpose-built security barriers to integrated landscaping and street furniture, we identify the most proportionate and aesthetically appropriate options for your environment.
CCTV and surveillance coverage
We assess whether your surveillance network supports the specific operational needs of a crowded place — including real-time monitoring during peak periods, coverage of entry and transition points, and footage quality adequate for post-incident investigation. Because crowded places often have CCTV infrastructure installed in response to individual incidents rather than as part of a coherent strategy, coverage gaps are common.
Emergency management and evacuation planning
We review your emergency management arrangements — evacuation plans, communications protocols, staff training, and coordination with police and emergency services. Because the crowded places framework places particular emphasis on emergency preparedness, this element of the assessment is critical for demonstrating compliance with the framework’s expectations.
Lighting and environmental design
We assess external and internal lighting against your risk profile and relevant Australian Standards. We use Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles to identify where the built environment creates concealment, isolation, or vehicle access risk. Because environmental design changes are often the most cost-effective crowded places security improvements available, this element of the assessment frequently produces high-value recommendations.
Alignment With the Australian Government’s Crowded Places Strategy
Smartsec conducts crowded places security assessments aligned with the Australian Government’s Crowded Places Strategy and associated guidance documents. Because our reports reference this framework explicitly, they produce documentation that supports planning applications, insurance renewals, governance reporting, and compliance demonstration with the framework’s expectations.
We also align with ISO 22343-1:2023 for hostile vehicle mitigation and relevant Australian Standards for physical security systems. Because our assessments are vendor-neutral and standards-aligned, they provide a defensible evidence base for security investment decisions — not just a list of products to buy.
What You Receive
At the end of the assessment, you receive a clear, prioritised report. It documents your venue or precinct’s current security posture against the crowded places framework. It provides specific, achievable recommendations structured by priority — what needs urgent attention, what can be planned for, and what is already working well.
Reports are written for the range of people who need to act on them — a venue manager implementing changes on the ground, a board justifying investment, or a planning authority reviewing a development application. We don’t produce technical documents that only security specialists can interpret.
Talk to a Crowded Places Security Assessment Consultant in Perth
If you manage a venue, precinct, or public space in Perth or regional WA and want independent crowded places security advice, Smartsec would welcome a conversation.
Contact the Smartsec team here to discuss your site and what you’re trying to achieve. There’s no obligation — just a straightforward conversation about your environment and how independent advice can help you meet your crowded places obligations with confidence.
