Qld police attend eight parliament calls

Queensland police have attended eight serious incidents at the parliamentary precinct in the last year, an estimates hearing has been told.

Clerk of the Parliament Neil Laurie on Tuesday told the hearing there were three incidents last September, including a "sand-like substance" being mailed to an MP.

"That did result in a HAZMAT response," he said.

The substance was deemed harmless.

"I don't think there was any malicious intent in that one, just someone being a little bit silly with what they'd put in an envelope."

Also that month, a CCTV camera was destroyed and objects were thrown into the premises.

In May this year, police were called when someone locked a dog in a car in the parliamentary precinct's car park.

Last month, a member of the public dropped a hat into the chamber from the public gallery above.

"A lot of our time and effort in relation to security goes to screening people before they come in," Mr Laurie told the hearing.

He said security officers confiscated a range of items, including pocket knives.