Individual,
I think that concern was an inspiration for those who set up and operated the TB clinic up there in far north Qld.
My understanding of TB is that bacteria can not stay alive in open air for more than say 25 seconds, maybe a minute in warm tropical atmosphere.
However when people are contained, say in an aircraft cabin prior to engine start, that bacteria can spread into other people in that cabin, confined reception area, train or such.
There is a lot we are not being informed about.
Resources for health should be unlimited. Could be if political leaders has productive nouse to encourage new industry and revenue.

bacteria can not stay alive in open air for more than say 25 seconds, maybe a minute in warm tropical atmosphere.
JF Aus,
That may be so but it still leaves an infected person infected. Once they get into an aircraft or a car etc. they can take TB anywhere in the world if the wish to do so.
I'm with you on health resources should be generous. The problem with health is that much of it prevention rather than cure. As long as people are aware of the possibility of a cure they'll not bother too much with prevention. We need education on that. Not tertiary education, real experience kind of education, let those promiscuous & drug addicts cop the consequences instead of wasting valuable resources on them. Give medical aid to the innocent & unfortunate. I find it absurd that those celebrities with AIDS aren't charged with infecting so many others.

A sneeze leaves the nostrils at 104 miles PH, or around a 170 klms PH!
The tiny droplets can then travel up to thirty metres, where they can deposit on any surface or be ingested as we breathe.
Droplets collected as we touch infected surfaces, transfer some pretty potent pathogens, which then survive a lot longer, thanks to our body heat/moisture, etc.
We can become an infected host, just by rubbing tired eyes, licking a page turning finger, or kissing someone who has some of the live pathogen on lips or face etc.
This is the very reason why TB patients need to be managed with high sanitation, [masks, gloves, head and footwear covers, and disposable full cover garments,] and in isolation!
Rhrosty.

I grew up in PNG. One of my vivid memories is the panic of my parents every time I had a remotely intractable cough. Sputum tests for TB were a normal part of my childhood, although fortunately I never actually contracted it.

We are in a hugely fortunate position in Australia with respect to our biological security capacity, but we will not be immune. The whole globe needs to get used to the idea that resistance is going to make the past century a lamented golden age and that "consumption", diptheria, typhus, plague, leprosy, influenza - all of the great historical killer diseases except smallpox - are once again going to be familiar companions. Vaccination can only reduce their prevalence unless forced vaccination becomes a norm across the world and a similarly aggressive campaign to the one that eliminated smallpox is conducted for each of the epidemic diseases. It's a much bigger threat than climate change. The first really large global pandemic of resistant disease can only be a decade or two away at best.

Well if lucky and connected at least talking face to face with a doctor on the NBN might solve everything!

It might keep the doctor safe, but it won't do much for the patient...