The UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture has canceled a visit to Australia because two states have not given them free access to detention centers, the BBC reports.

Subcommittee experts were scheduled to visit Australia in October, but suspended the visit because the states of New South Wales and Queensland refused access to some facilities.

The Australian government has expressed disappointment with the cancellation of the visit.

The SPT, made up of independent human rights experts, was to review Australia's compliance with a protocol aimed at preventing torture and degrading treatment.

The country's participation was approved by the federal government in 2017 and allows members of the subcommittee to visit prisons, police stations and other detention centers without notice.

But SPT chairwoman Suzanne Jabbour said that despite Australia's cooperation, there was no alternative but to terminate the visit because the issue of unrestricted access to all detention facilities in the two states has yet to be resolved.

Federal Attorney General of Australia spokesman Mark Dreyfus said the SPT visits to all other Australian states were successful.

Queensland has made some progress since October, allowing UN visits to psychiatric inpatient wards, access to which had been blocked because of privacy concerns.

A bill aimed at removing legal barriers is currently pending in Parliament.