Lock-on devices legislation passed

It comes following a series of climate change protests interrupting traffic in Brisbane and farm protests earlier this year.

During the second reading of the bill Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she believed the new laws struck the "appropriate balance between the rights of our citizens to peacefully protest and have a voice, and the rights of our emergency services personnel and members of the general community to be safe".

"As a government, we recognise that the right to speak out and the right to voice discontent are an integral part of the democratic process," she said.

"Many have accused the government of trying to stop protesting, but that could not be further from the truth.

"I support peaceful protest."

Ms Palaszczuk said the laws were designed as a response to "people who have gone too far", disrupting the community and putting lives at risk.

"Recently we have witnessed the emergence of a small cohort that flagrantly abuses the law and shows a complete disregard for others in our community," she said.

"My government does not and never will support those kinds of dangerous activities, extremist behaviours and the use of dangerous attachment devices that disrupt and endanger the lives of hardworking people across our state.

"The devices have the potential to injure not just the protester but also the emergency services personnel who sometimes spend hours attempting to remove the devices to make sure that the person is safe. That is where we draw the line.

"When those devices are reinforced with metal, wire or glass-fragments that can become projectiles-they can injure police, emergency services workers or members of our community.

"It is only those dangerous attachment devices that we are targeting."

The laws will allow police to search a person or a vehicle without a warrant if they suspect someone possesses such a device.

If a dangerous device is found on a person or in their vehicle, the device can be deactivated, seized and disposed of as considered reasonably necessary.

Ms Palaszczuk said Police Minister Mark Ryan will provide an annual report to parliament detailing how the powers have been used.

But LNP members didn't think the legislation went far enough, seeking amendments to the bill that would have seen the creation of a new unlawful assembly offence, a minimum seven-day jail term for repeat offenders and a requirement that bail be refused for repeat offenders. The amendment was voted down.

Opposition agriculture spokesman Tony Perrett said in parliament that under the legislation a dangerous attachment device was "anything that is likely to explode, cut someone's skin or require someone to wear protective clothing to break it up, such as a pipe or casing made of asbestos".

"Against all common sense, glue, bike locks, padlocks, ropes and chains are not considered an attachment device," he said.

"Apparently they are not.

"That means that this legislation would not have applied to Extinction Rebellion protesters who chained themselves and sat on the railway.

"Activists love to chain themselves to equipment and sites.

"In April, animal activists chained themselves to equipment at the Yangan abattoir near Warwick.

"The government's bill looks more like a slap on the wrist with a wet lettuce leaf."