Parliament House officials have given up on plans to introduce biometric keys for the building.
The patents have expired on the locks in the 19-year-old building and replacement locks will be installed later this year, probably during this year's election campaign.
The scheme has gone to tender four times, with the latest tender canvassing alternatives to traditional keys such as swipe cards.
But officials have drawn the line at biometric technology.
"We contemplated very briefly whether we should open it up even further to some sort of biometric recognition system - irises or voice or whatever," department of parliamentary services head Hilary Penfold told a Senate estimates committee.
"(But we) decided that that was probably getting a bit ahead of ourselves at this stage.
"There were a variety of reasons why members and senators and other building occupants might not be too comfortable with that and it might not be a very efficient process."
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