Australia is increasing its flood assistance to Fiji to $3 million, with estimates the inundation from torrential rains has caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says $1 million will be spent on emergency food, water and sanitation, including $150,000 that has already gone to the Red Cross.

The rest is an immediate contribution for recovery and reconstruction.

Mr Smith has rejected suggestions Australia did not do enough soon enough, and says he stands ready to do more.

“Whether a further contribution is required, whether a further contribution is appropriate, we will determine in the future,” he said.

“Firstly we need the flood waters to recede to enable a proper assessment to be done of the damage and the full extent of recovery and reconstruction.”

New Zealand has also boosted its contribution to a total of $NZ600,000 ($487,000).

Fiji is facing a massive clean-up in the aftermath of heavy flooding that killed 11 people.

The bad weather is not gone yet, but conditions are starting to improve on the west coast.

The clean-up continues in Nadi’s main street, where locals are hosing out shops and shovelling mud and rubbish.

Sugar cane crops south of Nadi have been destroyed and farmers say the damage bill will run into tens of millions of dollars.

Eleven people have been killed in the flooding.

The Department of Foreign Affairs says most of the Australians stranded at Fiji’s international airport have been able to get on flights home.

Qantas and Air Pacific flights took 230 Australians home last night, and there were earlier flights by Virgin Blue.

“At the moment there is no water or electricity in Labasa and we are advising people not to move around since the weather situation could change any time,” said police spokesman Atunaisa Sokomuri.

The town of Nadi, the gateway to Fiji for international tourists, was no longer under water but had no electricity or water. Fiji has declared a state of emergency with curfews in the towns of Ba, Nadi and Sigatoka.

Sugar is Fiji’s second major industry following tourism and sugar farms in the west have been devastated by the flooding, with damages estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars, said Surendra Sharma, head of the Sugar Cane Growers Council.

“The damage is currently largely through lodged cane (cane that falls or leans over), water-logged fields, silting, debris imported into the fields and washing away of recently applied fertiliser,” Sharma told the Fiji Sun newspaper.

“Should the fields remain water-logged this will compound the damage and if strong winds strike, this could result in cane tops snapping. If this happens, the crop is a total write-off and nothing can be salvaged.”