Public gallery at the Victorian parliament closes after protest action within the chambers

The public gallery at the Victorian parliament has been closed as authorities probe how to tackle increasing levels of threats and protests within the chambers.

The public gallery at the Victorian parliament has been closed after protesters disrupted parliament on budget day.

Speaking at the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, President of the Upper House Shaun Leane, on Monday, confirmed that access to public galleries had been suspended until after the winter break as the state parliament figured out how to deal with increasing levels of protest action occurring within the chambers.

Mr Leane told the hearing that the action to close the galleries had been taken after a “security incident” occurred while a person was being given access to parliament on budget day.

There was suggestion that an MP was signing in a person, who was known to be linked to previous protest action, when the incident occurred.

Earlier, Department of parliament Secretary Trish Burrows told the panel that an attendant of the parliament was injured during a separate in incident on May 7 when pro-Palestinian protesters were being removed from the public gallery after interrupting parliament.

Access to public galleries has been suspended until after the winter break . (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

Ms Burrows told the committee in recent years there had been increasing threats and protest events resulting in “a continual uplift in security across the processes”.

The most recent changes introduced include stationing PSOs in public galleries and installing CCTV cameras trained on these areas.

There has also been steps taken to limit protest action to only occur on lower levels of parliament, and entrance procedures and scanners are being looked at and constantly updated.

Protesters outside the Victorian parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

When asked how many security incidents had occurred at parliament in the past financial year,

Legislative Assembly speaker Maree Edwards shut down the line of questioning raising security concerns.

“I don’t think there’s any value in airing these security matters publicly,” she said.

The revelations that there had been increasing threats at parliament comes after repeated attacks on politicians’ electorate offices by pro-Palestinian protests.

Deputy Premier Ben Carroll’s Niddrie office was defaced last week being splashed with fake blood.

In February, Premier Jacinta Allan slammed separate groups of “faceless cowards” after her Bendigo office was attacked for a third time.

Ms Burrows said multiple offices had to be cleaned up “it usually happens overnight and we try to get there first thing in the morning”, she said.

When asked the cost to taxpayers so far Ms Burrows took the question on notice.