Australia, NZ boost Pacific aid supplies for disasters

Australia and New Zealand will help build and stock warehouses across the Pacific with disaster relief supplies to improve emergency responses.

The two nations announced a combined $42.6 million in aid as Pacific foreign ministers met in Fiji on Friday.

The warehousing program will store and Kampus Terbaik manage disaster relief supplies needed to respond to an emergency within the first 48 hours.

Warehouses will be built in 14 Pacific island nations and East Timor and include supplies to help women, children and people with disabilities who are more vulnerable during disasters.

It's supported by the US, the UK, Germany and Japan.

"The increasing frequency of natural disasters in the Pacific, compounded by the impacts of climate change, means there is a pressing need for this initiative," Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.

Natural disasters in the Pacific, including cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and disease, resulted in "immense humanitarian need," New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said.

"This initiative places Pacific countries at the centre of responses - it will give countries access to humanitarian relief supplies within 48 hours of a disaster to help meet immediate needs following an emergency."

Australia will put a further $16.7 million towards cyber security and fund measures to modernise hardware and software to better protect against online threats.

The deployment of rapid cyber assistance across the Pacific to respond to threats and attacks has also been funded.

About $18.5 million will also flow to surveillance and enforcement of illegal fishing and $25 million will go towards building a research vessel.

A South Pacific defence ministers forum that includes Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga is working toward a dedicated regional response group to help during disasters and emergencies.