Australia's efforts in tackling Ebola will focus on hospitals and airports while a deal is sought to ensure health workers sent to Africa can be quickly evacuated and treated.
The federal opposition says the $18 million provided by the coalition government to tackle the virus, which is killing thousands of people in west Africa, is not enough.
Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek believes Australia should be sending in health workers and other experts to help fight Ebola, which presents a threat to health and international security.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the aid spending, which came on top of $40 million for the World Health Organisation, was a creditable effort so far.
Mr Abbott thinks it is irresponsible to send in Australian personnel without an agreement to fly them out immediately and get them quickly to a high-quality hospital if they contracted the virus.
Senior diplomats have been in talks with the US, UK and European countries in a bid to strike a deal guaranteeing evacuation and treatment.
The other governments have been saying their priority is dealing with their own nationals who need treatment.
The 30-hour flight to Australia is long enough for someone with Ebola symptoms to die.
"We are quite rightly and understandably focused on being prepared here at home and in our region," Mr Abbott said.
More than 700 people have arrived at Australian airports from west African countries since the outbreak.
The 11 arrivals suspected of Ebola have all tested negative.
Most of the estimated 4500 Ebola cases worldwide have been in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, but Nigeria, Senegal, Spain and US have also recorded cases.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said airport checks were working well but if medical advisers suggested any improvements they would be swiftly put in place.
He said Labor's criticisms of the government's efforts were naive.
"The government is focusing on what we are doing to protect the Australian community and also acting in concert with regional partners to ensure that we can respond to any regional escalation of this threat," he said.
The UN this week warned the world has less than 60 days to stem the epidemic, while the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts up to 1.4 million people could be infected by January.
Australian Medical Association president Brian Owler said the government funds were inadequate, especially when compared with the spending on tackling terrorism.
"I think we need to be thinking about this type of problem, not just as a local health problem of west Africa, but an international global emergency," he said.
Between 20 and 30 Australians are working with non-government organisations in west Africa to combat the virus.
The charities have their own evacuation and treatment plans.
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