Police have called on licensed venues in the Brisbane nightclub district to introduce a new counter-terrorism measure, but an expert says it is unlikely to be effective.

The Safe Night Precinct, in conjunction with the Queensland Police Service, wrote to bars and nightclubs in Fortitude Valley asking owners to prepare a "grab bag" to be readily available in the event of a terror-related incident.

The email included a list of items to be stored inside the bag but said it was only a "draft".

It listed several items, including a USB device with floor and CCTV plans, staff contact lists, security codes and a megaphone.

Other items include an incident log book, glow sticks and a disposable camera.

"The contents of the bag are not set in stone … you know your business and what you need," the email reads.

The secretary of the Fortitude Valley Safe Night Precinct, Simon Turner, said the idea for the bags was developed following a recent security forum discussing attacks on crowded places.

However, he said the national threat level remained "probable" and there was no heightened risk for Brisbane businesses.

"It's better to be prepared and be aware than to be naive and ignorant," he said.

"At the end of the day what we want to do is in the event that something may occur we want that situation resolved as soon as possible."

The new measures request that nightclub staff have access to a megaphone. ( ABC News: Meghna Bali )

He also wanted patrons to know it was merely a "preventative measure" put in place for them.

"It's like a having a fire extinguisher… it's nothing to be alarmed about," he said.

The Met nightclub owner Trent Mead welcomed the idea.

"I think this just indicates we've got world-best practice here … I'm a big advocate," he said.

He said it was a sign of the times rather than a cause for concern.

"It would be remiss of us to avoid having these type of conversations and discussions around these type of preparations for those type of incidents," he said.

Surfers Paradise precinct applies for private security guards

Surfers Paradise Safe Night Precinct president Tim Martin said while police had not requested Gold Coast venues to prepare terror kits, he welcomed the strategy.

"Most venues are already prepared … but it always helps [to have] extra safety measures and those checklists to make sure we are on track and compliant," he said.

"We're already a place of mass gathering. We've always got major events going through the town, so as a town we are prepared.

"But anything that the police can provide for extra help around these sort of threats is welcome to anyone."

The Surfers Paradise Safe Night Precinct has submitted an application to the Queensland Government for almost $95,000 to hire private security guards to monitor the Glitter Strip.

"We're looking at about six guards, and they will be patrolling areas up the beachfront, around through the arcades and the taxi ranks as well," Mr Martin said.

"Just anywhere that may at times have not had the eyes that we could use throughout the precinct, rather than having to stretch police resources."

He is hopeful the precinct will receive the funding in time for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April.

'It seems really curious to me'

However, counter-terrorism expert Isaac Kfir was not convinced the bags were an effective measure.

Dr Kfir, the director of the National Security Program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the bags were a "random" tool based on global attack trends.

"One of the things that we are noticing when we're looking at the recent spout of terror attacks is they're less about indoor activities and they're more outdoor activities," he said.

He said the bags would only work if authorities had prior knowledge of a suspected terror incident.

"Other than that, it seems rather curious [idea] to me," he said.

He said the strategy was not being implemented anywhere else and further public awareness and security practices would be more effective.