Port Vila: Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has vowed Australia will remain in Vanuatu for "as long as it takes" to help the country recover from a devastating cyclone, as she confirmed that all Australians are now accounted for.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Joe Natuman thanked Australia for its help in the wake of Cyclone Pam, saying Prime Minister Tony Abbott had called him immediately afterwards, offering assistance.
But he warned that longer-term rebuilding would be needed and the country would need "more assistance in the reconstruction phase".
"We will need a lot of assistance in rebuilding schools. A lot of the schools were damaged, a lot of the hospitals were damaged, government buildings, roads, bridges."
Damage to the economy had been "severe", he said.
"We have relied heavily on tourism. We need to repair a lot of hotels."
Ms Bishop, accompanied by the Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, arrived on Sunday morning on a RAAF C-17 transport plane.
Ms Bishop strongly indicated that Australia would make a substantial contribution to the longer term rebuilding.
"Prime Minister I want to assure you that the Australian government and the Australian people will continue to support you in your time of need, not only in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, but I know that your long term recovery efforts will take some time."
She said she had "already begun discussions" with the Vanuatu government as to how Australia could help in the longer term. Australia is Vanuatu's biggest aid donor.
Australia has now provided more than $10 million to non-government organisations for Vanuatu.
With the navy's HMAS Tobruk due to arrive on Sunday night, the total number of Australian personnel helping in Vanuatu would be nearly 600, Ms Bishop said.
Two Australian Blackhawk helicopters were expected to begin flying missions on Sunday to the more remote islands – some of which are still cut off. Most of the islands either do not have airstrips or have only small, dirt runways that cannot be used by larger planes.
The Tobruk is carrying about 335 ADF personnel as well as an MRH-90 helicopter. A large army contingent will "help clean up and get the communities back on their feet", Air Chief Marshal Binskin said.
Captain Jay Bannister, the commander of Defence's joint taskforce in Vanuatu, said the arrival of the Tobruk would bring vital equipment including major desalination equipment.
"The water supplies will become contaminated as plant and other material breaks down," he said. "So there can be longer term health problems."
Ms Bishop urged Australian tourists and tourists from around the world to come to Vanuatu to support the economy as soon as it was ready to reopen its doors. .
"When Vanuatu is ready to open its doors to the tourist trade I encourage to people to come back here to this beautiful place."
Ms Bishop said there was still "great need for food and water and other supplies" on the outer islands.
The massive C-17s have flown 41 sorties since Saturday, delivering aid such as food, water, shelter and hygiene kits. C-130 Hercules planes have flown 36 missions, while P-3 Orion and King Air reconnaissance planes have made 35 flights between them, gaining much-needed intelligence about the worst-hit regions, which has been shared with the Vanuatu government so that it can best direct relief efforts.
With the arrival of the Tobruk the number of ADF members in Vanuatu will be more than 450. As of Saturday, there were also 56 Australian search-and-rescue personnel, 26 medical staff including doctors and nurses and 22 Department of Foreign Affairs officials.
The ADF personnel include members of the 3rd Combat Engineers Regiment, who are helping with the clean-up.
Altogether, some 83 pallets of stores had been delivered by Saturday to the island nation.
And 282 Australians and foreign nationals had been evacuated on RAAF planes.
Among the stores delivered is a water purification system that can turn 10,000 litres of sea water into drinking water each hour.
An Australian C-17 is also being deployed to the Philippines which is contributing 50 tonnes of high-energy biscuits through the UN world food programme.
