The Torres Strait Islands Regional Council has stopped issuing permits for travel between Australia and Papua New Guinea because of fears of a multi-drug resistant tuberculosis outbreak.
One Islander has already died of the disease, and it has been revealed a Syrian asylum seeker also presented with TB symptoms at a Torres Strait Island health facility earlier this year, sparking local fears that the disease could escalate under the Prime Minister's PNG solution.
Fred Gela from the Torres Strait Islands Regional Council says more needs to be done to prevent people getting sick in the community.
"It is a serious matter and it's not only a matter for my constituents in the Torres Strait, it should be a matter of high agenda that really needs both tiers of government to start talking about it," he says.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, AusAID and Queensland Health have agreed to travel to the Torres Strait to meet with councillors on Friday.
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