Australia bushfires: New Zealand will send 22 more firefighters to help

Friday, 3 January 2020

The Government is sending 22 more firefighters to Australia to help fight the country's out of control bushfires. 

New Zealand has been sending firefighters to Australia since late October, with 157 having already been deployed. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand would do all it could to assist. 

'The devastation caused by these fires is taking a substantial toll on our Australian neighbours and we will continue to do what we can to assist as they deal with this extremely dynamic, dangerous and ongoing situation,' Ardern said.

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'I've been in contact with Prime Minister Scott Morrison again this week to share our collective support for our neighbours and friends, and what they're experiencing,' she said.

A formal request for further assistance was made this week. The team of 22 will include 20 firefighters, a strike team leader, and a liaison officer.

They will be deployed on the front line of the fires. The team will leave on Wednesday and work on two five-day rotations.

Tracey Martin, the minister responsible for fire and emergency services said the firefighting was occurring in 'some of the most challenging conditions ever'.

She said New Zealand would continue to monitor the situation and consider any further requests for assistance.

Ardern also posted a personal image of the unusual weather conditions experienced by New Zealanders as a result of the fires. The image, which was taken in Gisborne, showed a seaside scene bathed in the unusual orange light that's resulted from the smoke blown over from Australia.

She extended her personal sympathy and condolences to those who had been affected

'New Zealanders around the country have expressed their condolences to those who have lost loved ones and sympathy to all affected, and I extend mine too. It's simply devastating to see the scale of the loss,' she said.

As the first raged into the new year, Morrison has come under fire for his perceived lacklustre response to the crisis, and his Government's climate change policy. 

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) rural fire manager Tim Mitchell said when the organisation had put the call out for firefighters to go to Australia it had been inundated with offers.

Australia authorities had made a specific request in terms of the number and skillset of firefighters required from New Zealand, Mitchell said. FENZ was continuing to work with their Australian counterparts to understand what further help might be required. 

Previous deployments of New Zealand firefighters had gone to Queensland and New South Wales. The new contingent, made up of firefighters from a range of agencies, would most likely go to New South Wales, Mitchell said, however the exact location was yet to be determined.

The Australian wildfires were significant events, he said. 'People will definitely need to be on their A game over there.'

'The conditions these people are going to be working in are quite tough, they're extremely hot, they're long days, so to manage their fatigue we limit the number of days they work consecutively.'

Australian firefighters have died fighting the wildfires, something Mitchell said was felt keenly by New Zealand firefighters. 'Our thoughts and feelings go out to those families and the other firefighters. It's really tragic to lose anyone at any time around a fire.'