The federal government will set up an expert biosecurity task force to increase defence against a devastating outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt announced the exotic animal disease preparedness task force would be created with officials from the Australian Defence Force, Australian Border Force and Animal Health Australia.

The new measure is in addition to sanitation foot mats rolled out at every international Australian airport and bolstered powers for biosecurity officers screening arriving travellers following an outbreak of the disease in Indonesia.

Australia is currently free of the disease, which affects livestock.

In addition, more than 400,000 monkeypox jabs have been ordered by the federal government in a bid to contain that outbreak.

Health Minister Mark Butler announced the government had signed an agreement with Bavarian Nordic to secure 450,000 doses, with 22,000 due to arrive in Australia as soon as this week.

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly said the first shots could be given as early as next week.

The remainder of the doses will arrive later this year and into 2023.

The vaccine is a new generation of immunisation, compared to the smallpox jab, which is also used to protect against monkeypox.

It is understood all but two of the 58 reported cases in Australia have been among travellers returning from overseas.

New legislation to take action on climate change was also on the agenda.

New laws to raise Australia's carbon emissions-cut targets have cleared their first hurdle after passing the federal parliament's lower house.

Labor's bill to enshrine in law a 43 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030 passed after the government agreed to further changes from crossbenchers.

Pro-climate "teal" independents supported the climate change bill and praised the government for accepting their suggestions to improve it.

But just as Greens leader Adam Bandt promised yesterday, the crossbenchers have vowed to keep pressuring Labor to raise its targets and stop the opening of new coal and gas projects.

Liberal MP Bridget Archer was the only opposition member to vote with the government as the bill passed the house 89 votes to 55.

The Tasmanian MP said her community wanted action on climate change and it was important she use her vote to achieve this.

The laws would set a carbon emissions cut target of 43 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030, and net zero emissions by 2050. It now needs to go through the Senate.

The 2030 commitment is a step up from the former coalition government's unlegislated 26 to 28 per cent target, while there is bipartisan support for the 2050 target.

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