The navy is to lease another amphibious transport ship to ensure it has enough capacity to conduct relief operations during this summer's cyclone season.
The extra vessel is the Windermere, which is to be leased from October 14 to January 31 with an option to extend until the end of February.
The vessel is being been chartered through P&O Maritime Services at a cost of $9.4 million.
Windermere is an 80-metre, sub-sea operations vessel usually used to support oilfield diving activities.
It can carry about 100 passengers and 1000 tonnes of cargo.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith said the Windermere would supplement the new amphibious vessel HMAS Choules which arrives from the UK in December and HMAS Tobruk which is currently undergoing maintenance.
It is also additional to the agreement with New Zealand for HMNZS Canterbury to be made available as part of the joint Pacific-focused ready response force.
The move to ensure sufficient amphibious vessels are available this summer follows maintenance problems with the amphibious fleet that left the navy with limited capacity to assist cyclone-ravaged areas earlier in 2011.
Since then the government has opted to retire the older vessels Manoora and Kanimbla and acquire HMAS Choules, a surplus UK amphibious vessel, formerly RFA Largs Bay.
While HMAS Tobruk has undergone scheduled maintenance, the navy supplemented its amphibious capability by chartering the the P&O vessel Aurora Australis and the Australian Customs Vessel Ocean Protector.
