Security guards at Melbourne Town Hall have begun searching the bags of visitors attending public council meetings in response to the nation's heightened terror alert level.
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The precautionary measure, which is not in reaction to any specific threat, was introduced in September. It will cost ratepayers $150 to pay for an extra security officer for every pubic council meeting, held most weeks.
While Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the new protocol was "sensible and pretty moderate", counter-terrorism expert Clarke Jones has dubbed it "a bit over the top".
Comparing bag searches to the confiscation of nail files by airport security, Dr Jones said he had never heard of a council member being a targeted or threatened by terrorist groups.
"I think it is a bit of an overreaction unless there's someone within council who has been quite vocal in their comments against [terror group] IS or vocal against any particular minority group," he said.
The new measure was implemented by unelected council staff in September after Australia's terror threat level was raised from medium to high – meaning a terrorist attack is likely.
It followed advice from Victoria Police to Melbourne City Council, other infrastructure operators and sporting bodies to review their security plans and identify any risks and vulnerabilities.
"Once these risks or vulnerabilities are identified then it is up to each organisation to implement the necessary strategies to mitigate those risks," a police spokeswoman said.
As well as the bag searches, council has sharpened its procedures around council-issued identity cards and reminded their staff to report any suspicious behaviour.
The mayor said the reforms were about "tightening up" security measures that should already be in place.
"From time to time we get difficult people on our premises and that is just the nature of public buildings, but we still need to treat that with a degree of caution," Cr Doyle said.
Three years ago about 20 non-violent Occupy Melbourne protesters began chanting from the public gallery of a council meeting, demanding that the mayor treat them with "love and respect". But it is understood the Town Hall has not been hit by any major breaches of security.
Last month, a Muslim comedian in Melbourne was allegedly stopped by Australian Federal Police and had his backpack searched for taking video footage of the Town Hall – for the purpose of a promotional video for a democracy group.
Cr Richard Foster, who oversees city safety, said while he hoped Town Hall would never be a target of terrorism, the council had a duty to protect the important city asset. He said at this point there were no plans to escalate security measures any further.
The City of Sydney has no screening measures for public meetings. However Brisbane City Council – the nation's largest council – has for some time required visitors to pass through metal detectors have their bags searched.
While Dr Jones said bag searches alone would not prevent concealed weapons being smuggled into a public meeting, a Melbourne City Council spokesman said the "simple measure" could act as a deterrent for anyone planning to bring a prohibited item.
"The introduction of bag searches is consistent with measures put in place by other agencies to increase security for large gatherings, such as major sporting events," he said.
"The City of Melbourne is a high-profile capital city council and our meetings often attract large public galleries."
Meanwhile, no extra security had been ordered for Victoria's Parliament on Wednesday in the wake of the shooting in Canada but Speaker Christine Fyffe said the Parliament had boosted security over the past months.
She said the Parliament was very conscious of security needs, including at electorate offices. Additional security measures will be built and installed before Parliament resumes after the November election.
A statement from the Victorian Parliament on the Canadian incident is expected this morning.
Victoria Police media also said it was not aware of any additional security measures at Parliament today.
Parliament will not sit again until after the November 29 election.
with Richard Willingham