New Zealand to send disaster response team to Queensland

New Zealand will send a Civil Defence emergency response team to Queensland to assist Australia in its response to the devastating floods, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said today.

The deployment comes after a phone conversation between the Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers.

"During that conversation it was agreed that a small team from New Zealand would make a valuable contribution to the recovery effort," Mr McCully said.

"Australia has always been ready to help when New Zealand is in need, as we saw most recently during the Pike River disaster.

"The scale of the flooding in Queensland is unprecedented. The extent of the damage will only become clear once the flood waters subside.

"The New Zealand Government is pleased to be able to assist during this difficult time and we will be standing by if any further help is required."

The team of 10-15 personnel is expected to depart for Brisbane within 48 hours.

ENDS

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