Kiwis send forensic experts to Vic fires

Six New Zealand police forensic experts will leave for Australia on Wednesday to help with victim identification following Victoria's devastating bushfires.

The team, who have disaster experience including the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami, are expected to arrive in Melbourne on Wednesday, police spokesman Grant Ogilvy says.

NZ Prime Minister John Key said Deputy Police Commissioner Rob Pope had received a request for the police officers to assist with forensics and body identification.

Help was needed because of the "enormity of the situation", he said.

"New Zealand police have indicated they would be willing to send that contingent and it would be dispatched as quickly as possible."

My Key said earlier 100 firefighters would be sent to Australia.

Several New Zealand hospitals have offered help to care for burns victims, Radio New Zealand reported.

The New Zealand government on Monday kick-started a fund for Australian bushfire victims with a $NZ500,000 ($A397,630) donation.

The fund is being run by the New Zealand Red Cross.

More than $NZ115,000 ($A91,454) has so far been raised from public donations in 24 hours.

New Zealand's cricketers on Tuesday showed their sympathy for the victims of the devastating bushfires, donning black armbands, observing a minute's silence and making a financial donation.

New Zealand and Australia lined up in front of the Adelaide Oval grandstand and bowed their heads in a mark of respect just before the fourth Chappell-Hadlee Trophy one-day international on Tuesday.

New Zealand's players agreed at a team meeting on Monday to donate a proportion of their match fees to the bushfire relief fund, while New Zealand Cricket (NZC) also announced it was making a donation.

NZC declined to reveal the total amount.

The New Zealand TAB will also donate all its profits from betting on the match to victims of the bushfires.

New Zealand Racing Board Chief Executive Graeme Hansen said the TAB staff wanted to do whatever they could to help the victims of the bushfires.

"This is only a small gesture on our behalf but we're hoping it will continue the momentum building in New Zealand to help the victims of this disaster," Mr Hansen said.