Security will be stepped up at the Australian High Commission in Fiji and families will be brought home following serious threats to the diplomatic mission, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says.

The decision had been made following Fiji's refusal to allow greater protection for Australia's High Commissioner to Fiji, James Batley, who had received two death threats, Mr Smith told reporters in Canberra today.

"A number of additional steps will now be taken, by the high commission itself, to further strengthen the security of our staff, their families and our premises," Mr Smith said.

"The government has decided to offer spouses, partners and dependent children of high commission staff in Suva the option of `voluntary return' to Australia, with reasonable costs met by the Australian government in the usual way.

"Families may choose to stay. It will be entirely a matter for them."

Mr Smith said it was regrettable that Fiji's interim government had advised it was not prepared to agree to close personal protection for Mr Batley.

"As of this morning, I'm still awaiting a response on additional Fiji police measures," he said.

"As a consequence of the refusal to date of the interim Fiji government to agree to close personal protection provided by Australian Federal Police, and to date a failure to respond to further requests for Fiji police assistance, the Australian government has today decided to allow the families of Australian officials in our commission in Fiji to voluntarily return to Australia if that is their wish."

AAP