Wellington  - The New Zealand government launched a nationwide aid appeal for victims of Australia's bushfires on Monday with a donation of 500,000 New Zealand dollars (265,000 US dollars).

"Australians are our closest friends and neighbours, and we want to help them as much as we can in their time of need," Foreign Minister Murray McCully said, inviting fellow New Zealanders to donate to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund.

Prime Minister John Key told reporters that 100,00 New Zealand firefighters were on standby to go to Victoria when Australian authorities declared they needed help to fight the fires. (dpa)