Currently, in a public health emergency caused by the spread of an emerging infectious disease, Australia could need to rely on a patchwork of legislative measures to assist it to cope. Commonwealth quarantine laws and State and Territory powers in public health legislation may all be needed to address the problem. If an outbreak occurred on a border, or in some area where jurisdiction may be in doubt such as airspace or offshore and a state or territory response was required in addition to any quarantine measures, there could be confusion over jurisdiction for the application of State and Territory powers. State and Territory public health acts do not adequately provide for interjurisdictional communication and cooperation. There could also be difficulties if an infectious disease caused overseas deaths of people from more than one State or Territory in circumstances where an Australian coronial investigation was considered desirable. In such a situation, the jurisdiction of more than one Australian coroner would be triggered. Several State and Territory coronial laws could apply and there could be different inquests under different laws undertaken by different coroners into the same incident.