Our history

Since 1977, we’ve helped keep New Zealand safe by advising on protection of government information and producing Signals Intelligence.

Signals Intelligence or SIGINT is intelligence derived from electronic communications.

New Zealand’s history of Signals Intelligence and protection of government information goes back more than 100 years

The earliest recorded production of Signals Intelligence in New Zealand was at the start of World War I, in early August 1914, when the radio receiving station at Awarua intercepted German naval communications.  

By 1916 the network of wireless telegraphy stations across New Zealand was largely devoted to interception of communications for a new naval intelligence centre in Wellington.  With the arrival of wireless direction-finding, this capability produced important intelligence about the routing of ships and convoys, and was the first significant intelligence contribution to security in our region.

During World War II, the production of Signals Intelligence by the military expanded.  Both Army and Navy units were involved in collecting intelligence in New Zealand and overseas.  After the war, New Zealand, Australia and Canada were invited to attend the 1946 British Commonwealth SIGINT Conference where the UK and US signed the UKUSA Agreement, under which the parties agreed to collaborate on collection and production of Signals Intelligence.

Over the next 10 years New Zealand, Australia and Canada formally joined the partnership, and it eventually became known as the Five Eyes because intelligence reports shared between the partners were often marked US/UK/AUS/CAN/NZL EYES ONLY.

In post-war New Zealand, the military had limited resources to sustain a Signals Intelligence effort in peace time.  Little was done until 1955 when the Combined Signals Organisation was established as a civilian organisation under the Navy Office and administered by the Defence Signals Committee.  This was the fore-runner of the GCSB and operated at Irirangi (near Waiouru) until 1977,  in partnership with its Australian counterpart organisation. 

By the early 1970s the facilities at Irirangi were in urgent need of renovation. A 1974 review of intelligence confirmed that the resources of the Combined Signals Organisation were insufficient to meet current intelligence needs. 

A separate review of communications security in 1976 highlighted the need for better coordination and investment in government communications security. The outcome was a proposal to establish a new organisation, to be called the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) that would be responsible for Signals Intelligence and for protection of government information. 

In 1977, Prime Minister Robert Muldoon approved the formation of the GCSB to provide Signals Intelligence, technical security, and communications security. The Prime Minister kept our roles and activities secret. At this time, GCSB was an agency under the Ministry of Defence, and it was not until 1989 that GCSB became a stand-alone government agency.

In 1980, Prime Minister Muldoon briefed Cabinet and the Leader of the Opposition about the GCSB. These briefings only mentioned our technical security and communications security roles, not our Signals intelligence role.

Prime Minister Muldoon publicly recognised that the GCSB existed and had a Signals Intelligence function in 1984.

Since the Second World War, GCSB and its predecessors operated under the authorisation of the Prime Minister of the day.  As early as 1983, consideration was given to giving the GCSB its own legislation modelled on the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) Act.

In early 2000, Parliament started preparing legislation to formally make us a government department. On 1 April 2003, the GCSB Act took effect. The Act provided a legislative basis for the conduct of GCSB’s Signals Intelligence, technical security, and communications security functions.

In 2001, we created the Centre for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CCIP) to work with agencies that ran essential infrastructure. The CCIP helped these agencies improve their cyber security, and investigated cyber security incidents involving them.

In June 2011, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) published New Zealand’s Cyber Security Strategy. The strategy made selected government agencies responsible for cyber security.

Read New Zealand's Cyber Security Strategy(external link) on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) website.

As part of the strategy, we created the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in September 2011. The NCSC took over the work of the CCIP.

Visit the NCSC website(external link)

In September 2012, intelligence collection activity for one investigation was found to be unlawful. Then Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Kitteridge started a review of our compliance with the law. The review considered our activities, systems, and processes since 1 April 2003, which was the date the GSCB Act came into force.

The government released Ms Kitteridge’s Review of Compliance Report on 9 April 2013. The report found several issues with our compliance systems and processes. We responded by significantly improving compliance systems, training and resourcing to make sure any compliance issues can be quickly identified and addressed. The review also found a lack of clarity in the legislation covering GCSB’s Signals Intelligence activities.

Read the Review of Compliance Report [PDF, 923 KB].

Separately to Kitteridge's review, the government decided the GCSB Act was fundamentally not fit for purpose. Parliament passed amendments to the Act, which took effect on 27 September 2013.

Read the amended GCSB Act 2003 on the NZ Legislation website(external link)

In March 2016, Sir Michael Cullen and Dame Patsy Reddy presented their findings from the First Independent Review of Intelligence and Security in New Zealand to Parliament. The review recommended improving the clarity and consistency of laws governing intelligence and security agencies.

Read the report of the First Independent Review of Intelligence and Security in New Zealand(external link) on the NZ Parliament website.

The government responded to the review with the Intelligence and Security Act 2017. The Act replaced the four Acts that previously applied to us, the NZSIS, and authorities that oversee intelligence and security agencies.

Read the Intelligence and Security Act 2017(external link) on the NZ Legislation website.

A significant moment for the GCSB was the decision to retire and remove the two satellite interception antennas and their protective radomes at Waihopai Station. The two dishes represented near-redundant technology. They were no longer operationally important and were contributing less and less intelligence reporting in comparison with other collection capabilities.

With the exception of high frequency radio interception, the GCSB’s capabilities have moved on significantly since the first dish and radome were installed 33 years ago.

The way in which the GCSB works has evolved and will continue to evolve, alongside changes in technology. We need to continually assess and update our capabilities to ensure they fully contribute to the New Zealand Government’s priorities as well as respond to rapidly evolving technology and the security threats New Zealand faces.

The world is increasingly contested and uncertain and the GCSB continues to play a vital role in keeping New Zealand decision makers informed about this changing landscape, while protecting and enhancing our security and wellbeing.