Australian police said they had executed two search warrants in towns on the New South Wales mid-north coast related to the investigation into Friday's mass shootings at mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch.

Police said that at around 8:30 a.m. on Monday (2130 GMT Sunday) a search warrant was executed by the New South Wales Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) at a home in the town of Sandy Beach, near Coffs Harbour, and shortly after another warrant was executed at a home in Lawrence, near Maclean.

"The primary aim of the activity is to formally obtain material that may assist New Zealand Police in their ongoing investigation," the Australian Federal Police and NSW Police said in a joint statement.

They said the family of the Australian man arrested in Christchurch were assisting police.

"The community can be assured that there is no information to suggest a current or impending threat related to the search warrants," the statement said.