“It’s fully expected they’ll be back in Auckland tonight,” Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told reporters.<\/p>\n
Peters said New Zealand was working with Australia, having received requests for help from other countries.<\/p>\n
“Pacific Island countries need our help and indeed I can tell you countries you’d be most surprised about have also asked for help.<\/p>\n
“We’re going to get the job done and when we have we’ll tell you what the details are.”<\/p>\n
Peters said the Defence Force had been poised to start evacuations but had to wait until the French government gave them the green light.<\/p>\n
“We were charged with action getting our team ready and within an hour of knowing, that plane was on its way.”<\/p>\n
“It’s been a lot of hard work by the Foreign Affairs team and all those involved, including waiting up until 2.30am last night to find out what the last message might be.”<\/p>\n
Burnt vehicles are seen on a road leading to the capital in Noumea.\u00a0<\/span>Photo:\u00a0AFP \/ Theo Rouby<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n He would not be drawn on whether or not the approval for passage through Magenta Airport – a domestic airport about 4km from the centre of Noum\u00e9a – could have come through faster.<\/p>\n “The reality is they’ve got to make sure the roads are clear, that we can get people safely from where most of them are to Magenta Airport.<\/p>\n “That’s a size matter for our aeroplanes and so that’s why we’re constricted to what we’ve got here now.<\/p>\n “We’ve got to trust that the flag’s gone up because they can be certain it will be safe but you never know.<\/p>\n “It’s a difficult circumstance. I’m just grateful for their help and their cooperation.”<\/p>\n