Up to 3,000 army reservists and an extra naval ship will join bushfire disaster and recovery efforts.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the extra bushfire assistance on Saturday afternoon as fire conditions deteriorate across Australia's south east.
Four extra firefighting planes would also be leased to join national bushfire efforts at a cost of $20 million.
Australian Defence Force bases from Brisbane to Adelaide will also be opened up to house people effected by the bushfires in need of accommodation.
"The issue that is needed today is boots on the ground, planes in the air, ships at sea and trucks rolling into communities that have been impacted," Mr Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Saturday.
Up to 3,000 reservists are being called up to assist the bushfire recovery effort. Source: Supplied: ADF
HMAS Adelaide would leave Sydney on Saturday to help with coastal evacuations at the NSW and Victorian border.
Defence is poised to set up a national task force to coordinate personnel involved in bushfire assistance across the country.
It would also deploy more planes and helicopters to help with transport and evacuation efforts in bushfire areas.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the deployment of the potentially 3,000 reservists to help with recovery efforts was the first time such a roll out had been made.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds announced the ADF would play a greater role in bushfire recovery. Source: AAP
"The government has not taken this decision lightly," Senator Reynolds said.
"Reservists have always performed a critical part in these call-outs for national disasters here in Australia and overseas."
The reservists will be tasked with helping with evacuations, establishing fire breaks and clearing roads.
The federal government would cover the $20 million bill for leasing the firefighting aircraft, with operational costs to be met by states and territories.
A national recovery agency, similar to what was set up during the Queensland floods in 2019, would be established to help with the bushfire crisis.
Black Hawk helicopters have been deployed to East Gippsland to help supply isolated towns. Source: Department of Defence
"The scale of the fires is stretching resources on the ground and there are clearly communities that need additional help and in response to that," Mr Morrison said.
"We have seen this disaster escalate to an entirely new level. This length of season is of course, in many senses, unprecedented."
Federal Labor welcomed the additional resources but continued its calls for a meeting of Australian governments to discuss the bushfire crisis.
"This is a national crisis and a national approach is required," Labor's defence spokesman Richard Marles said in a statement.
But he said the current extreme circumstances meant the large roll-out of defence personnel was completely appropriate.
