News Service from House Harris

Vic: Toll to sit at 181 until new remains are identified

MELBOURNE, Feb 16 AAP - Police won't update Victoria's bushfire death toll until they're sure about the identities of new remains.

Police say they have found more bodies than the official toll of 181, last updated on Thursday.

But they've chosen not to reveal how many more deaths there have been until they are sure of the victims' identities.

Assistant Commissioner Steve Fontana says authorities are still processing remains found so far.

Police won't update the toll until they are sure everything is "spot on".

"I must stress this is a very difficult and painstaking task in terms of, you can imagine the condition, the conditions that were out there, the intensity of the heat," he said on Monday.

"I just stress it's very difficult so it's got to be done properly and they've been going through making sure it's right."

Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin said recovering and identifying remains was complex and difficult.

The most important thing was that families of missing bushfire victims were given correct information, he said.

"The sensitivity is to get it right," Mr Esplin said.

"It's a huge task and it's a hugely sensitive task for the police, fire services and the defence force that are supporting them in recovering remains and appropriately identifying remains.

"... it's most important that the families get the right information and they get that information correctly, that there are no mistakes made."

Mr Fontana said he would not go into detail about the challenges authorities faced.

"I don't think we really want to go into the details of what they're actually dealing with, just put it that way," he said.

"It's a slow process."