A counter terrorism expert says it is no surprise to hear the government's security agencies foiled three possible terror attacks.
The director general of the Government Communications Security Bureau, or GCSB, Andrew Hampton, says other agencies had identified the people involved, one who was an ISIL sympathiser, and the other two who were white supremacists.
Massey University's Centre for Defence and Security teaching fellow John Battersby says the security agencies are trying to show how proactive they have been, but these incidents shouldn't come as a surprise.
Dr Battersby spoke to Corin Dann.
