CANBERRA ~ Better coordination and more tightly focused delivery of aid programmes is the aim of a new strategic partnership agreement between the Australian Defence Department and Defence Force and the Australian aid agency AusAID.

Under the agreement, signed in Canberra this week, defence and civil aid operations will be coordinated more closely.

The plan is designed to ensure whole-of-government cooperation in Australia in dealing with both regular foreign aid programmes and emergency response to situations such as the 2004 tsunami and the Nias earthquake.