New Zealand has appointed Andrew Needs as High Commissioner to Australia.
The career diplomat takes up the post following the political appointment of former Labour deputy leader Annette King, who finished her five-year term late last year.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who appointed Mr Needs, said "Australia is our closest and most important international partnership".
Mr Needs is a former High Commissioner to Canada who has also taken postings in Australia and the Pacific, serving more recently as a divisional chief at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Wellington.
He also worked as primary adviser to Mr Peters when he was foreign minister in Helen Clark's government, and to Murray McCully in John Key's government.
Mr Peters also announced career diplomats Patrick Rata as High Commissioner to India, Mark Trainor as Ambassador to Russia and David Pine as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.
