Despite spending $65 million on security improvements since the gruesome Ashburton murders a decade ago, assaults on Ministry of Social Development staff are increasing.

The Guardian has uncovered details of the sweeping national safety changes following the horror 2014 shootings of Peggy Noble and Susan Leigh Cleveland by disgruntled client Russell John Tully at the then Ashburton's Work and Income office.

Since, then, the ministry has invested $65 million on safety upgrades on its 122 sites, including creating secure rooms and employing on-site security guards in all its offices to protect both staff and clients.

But even with those safety and security enhancements, the number of assaults on MSD staff has reportedly nearly doubled in recent years.

In 2019, there were 19 assaults, but last year there were 36, a near 90% increase. So far this year, there have been 25 assaults, with a total of 143 in the past five years. 

Those rising assault figures could cast doubt on whether the multimillion-dollar spend has truly created the "safe environments" claimed by one of MSD’s deputy chief executives, Melissa Gill.

"The events in Ashburton in 2014 changed us as a ministry, and we started work to improve our security right away,” Gill said of the tragedy in which a balaclava-wearing Tully also shot and seriously injured Lindy Curtis and attempted to kill her WINZ colleague Kym Adams.

"Once we have finished our current upgrades, all sites will have secure areas for our staff and clients to use in the event of a serious incident.’’

The safety upgrades and improvements, which included those on Ashburton’s new office that opened in Tancred Street in 2020, are expected to be completed by December. The cost will equate to an average of about $500,000 per branch where welfare benefit and social service advice and support is provided. But that work probably can’t end soon enough because of those increasing assaults on MSD staff.

Gill admitted that weekly lockdowns have become a regular occurrence at some sites, though she saw that as a positive.

"Lockdowns happen fairly regularly, which shows that the system is working as intended,” she said.

"Lockdowns can be as short as 15 minutes depending on the circumstances.

"We also work closely with our colleagues in the police when such events occur and take appropriate follow up actions as necessary.’’

The Ashburton office, forever haunted by the events of 2014, knows all about going into lockdown after a suspicious-looking bag was left outside the site in January. It prompted a swift lockdown, with the Defence Force bomb disposal unit called to assess the threat.

Although the item was later deemed harmless, MSD's Canterbury regional commissioner Blair McKenzie said he was not prepared to take any chances. That’s why he followed new safety procedures to close the branch in what he called a "precautionary measure’’.

"The safety and security of our staff and clients is our top priority,’’ McKenzie said.

The Guardian, in an effort to verify those safety changes to a community still scarred by the 2014 killings, sought an exclusive tour of the Ashburton office but that request was denied.

"We do not regularly offer tours of our offices, and out of consideration for our staff in Ashburton, we will not be offering a tour of this site,” Gill said.

By Daryl Holden