Parliament's presiding officers are refusing to consult the public over a new 2.6-metre security fence to surround Parliament House - citing national security concerns - despite growing demands by MPs for the plans to be published before works commence.
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A week after the latest fortification plan was rushed through both houses, Speaker Tony Smith and Senate President Stephen Parry said they would not provide information about the exact location of the new "external perimeter" for the southern and northern grassed ramps.
Fairfax Media understands the controversial fences will be covered with foliage to lessen the visual impact to architect Romaldo Giurgola's original design, while one MP said the fence would be "almost at street level", a reference to Parliament Drive, which rings the building.
Some MPs and staff attended slideshow briefings before Parliament rose for the year, but were not given documents or allowed to take notes.
Construction is due to begin over summer.
In a statement, the Department of Parliamentary Services said the public would continue to have access to a significant amount of the grassed area on the northern side of the building. The speed of security checks at the main entrance could even improve.
"The public will continue to access the roof of this building in precisely the same way - passing through screening and going up to the roof internally via the elevators," the statement said.
"As the presiding officers have previously stated, they see it is their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of all Parliament House occupants, including staff, press gallery and the one million people - of which 100,000 are schoolchildren - who visit Parliament House annually."
Canberra's National Capital Authority confirmed it had received a works approval application but there would be no public consultation.
"Wherever possible, the NCA consults on works applications, however, on matters of national security it does not consult," a spokeswoman said.
The secrecy comes despite a motley crew of crossbenchers calling for the designs and blueprints to be made public.
"The people of Australia when they discover what this is will be mortified," said Victoria's Derryn Hinch, an outspoken critical of the proposal.
"There must be some middle ground where they could show people more without encouraging terrorists. I'm amazed we haven't had public uproar about it. It's ugly and it's terrible."
The Greens' Lee Rhiannon took aim at fellow MPs and the National Capital Authority for rubber-stamping the changes without giving the public a say.
"You feel as though there's nobody looking out for the building as a people's Parliament," she said.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale lashed out at the Coalition and Labor for supporting changes to the building they had not even seen.
"It's disappointing that most MPs have voted to build a fence around Parliament to keep the public out without ever having attended a briefing," he told Fairfax Media.
South Australian senator Nick Xenophon, who voted in favour of the security upgrade, said any details that did not compromise security should "absolutely" be made public, and "sooner rather than later".
Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm, who also backed the changes, agreed. "It is public money and it's the public's Parliament," he said. "Now that it has been approved I think it's legitimate for the public to know what's happening to their Parliament."
Plans are also under way to increase capacity inside the building, with a possible extension of the ministerial wing and the relocation of assistant ministers' offices.
A draft accommodation review considers additions to the building and the use or construction of buildings not connected to Parliament House.
