The Greens flew their balloon without incident in test flights last week, but after a government intervention, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority issued a no-fly zone within 0.25 nautical miles (460 metres) of Parliament House. The ban, which appears to only take in the radius of State Circle, came despite the National Capital Authority approving the balloon protest on October 8.

A Greens spokesman said the ban seemed designed to stop the balloon landing at an area it had reserved and getting a picture with Parliament House.

Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale said the government hadn't had a problem with other balloons flying over Parliament, including one with "pretty racist signage". He was referring to the Black Magic balloon known as "Golly" that was banned from the Enlighten Festival this year.

Tuesday's protest aims to bolster the Greens' push for the government to declare a climate emergency - and they have also taken out billboard advertising at Canberra Airport this week. But so far, there is no indication they will even succeed in bringing on a debate in Parliament, with Labor saying the issue is still being "worked through".

The Extinction Rebellion group also plans a week of protest. It says it will occupy and shut down "various intersections" in the city centre from 5.30pm on Friday, and on Thursday will take spades to the Minerals Council headquarters on Sydney Avenue to "build a coal mine".

Senator Di Natale vowed the campaign of protest and civil disobedience would continue.

"We represent millions of people who are frustrated and angry with the Coalition government that won't act on the climate crisis and a Labor opposition that's too gutless to take them on," he said, telling the government to "get off your bum and do something about it" if it wanted protests to stop.

But Liberal senator Eric Abetz dismissed Extinction Rebellion as an "extreme rabble" and said its civil disobedience was "undermining the very fabric of civil society and a democracy".

He suggested protesters were hypocritical for using superglue, given it was a "petrochemical product" of which they disapproved.

Senate president Scott Ryan and House Speaker Tony Smith confirmed the balloon ban, saying the Department of Parliamentary Services had applied for the airspace restriction after consulting the federal police.

"As a general rule, hot air balloons do not fly over Parliament House ... Flying of hot air balloons over Parliament House presents a safety and security risk to people and the Parliament House building," they said.

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Peter Gibson, said Parliament House and the police had made the request and CASA had assessed it against its standards.

Asked whether CASA had ever before been asked for a temporary balloon no-fly zone over Parliament House, he said he wasn't aware of other occasions but it was possible. CASA did not approve each and every flight.

"If you have a pilot licence and a certified and registered aircraft/balloon you can fly when and where you want as long as you fly according to the rules and any restrictions such as airspace," he said.