The initial shipment of Australian Bushmaster armoured vehicles will be sent to Ukraine today in what Defence Minister Peter Dutton says is a "big win" for the country's military.

The first of the 20 military vehicles, costing $2.45 million each, will leave Amberley RAAF base in Queensland aboard C-17 Globemaster aircraft bound for Europe later today.

Mr Dutton, speaking from Amberley, told Today the Bushmasters were a world-leading armoured vehicle.

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"It will be a big win for the Ukrainian forces in their attempts to stare down the barbaric efforts of the Russian forces," he said.

The armoured vehicles have been painted olive green and fitted with additional armour to protect soldiers from shrapnel, mines and improvised explosive devices on combat duties.

The Bushmasters were specifically requested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his speech to the Australian Parliament last week.

The Australian Defence Force has painted the Ukrainian flag on the side of each vehicle along with the words "United With Ukraine".

Australia is one of the first countries to supply Ukraine with armoured military vehicles to help it fight Russia.

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Mr Dutton said today's shipment of Bushmasters is the sixth delivery of military aid to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, NATO countries have agreed to ramp up the supply of weapons to Kyiv, including hi-tech arms, amid concerns that Russia is about to launch a large offensive in Ukrarine's eastern Donbas region.

NATO, as an organisation, refuses to send troops or weapons to Ukraine or impose a no-fly zone over it to keep the trans-Atlantic military group from being drawn into a wider war with nuclear-armed Russia. Individual NATO countries, however, have provided anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, as well as equipment and medical supplies.

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"There was a clear message from the meeting today that allies should do more, and are ready to do more, to provide more equipment, and they realize and recognize the urgency," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after chairing a meeting of allied foreign ministers in Brussels.

– Reported with Associated Press

Ken West, the co-founder of trail-blazing Australian music festival Big Day Out, has died aged 64.

Calling him a "father, husband, mentor and most of all a legend", West's family said the music lover passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday morning.

"Our family would appreciate respect and privacy during this difficult time," the family said in a statement released on Thursday night.

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"Ken was big and noisy in life, but passed quietly and peacefully."

From comparatively humble beginnings headlined by recently world-famous Nirvana and the Violent Femmes in a sweaty Hordern Pavillion, the festival grew into an annual touring behemoth featuring many of the world's biggest artists.

West, along with business partner Viv Lees, created and guided the show that would grow to become a staple of the Australian and New Zealand summer from 1992 to its last edition in 2014.

The festival hosted a staggering list of international superstars such as Rage Against the Machine, Iggy and the Stooges, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Muse and Metallica, as well as Aussies heroes such as Powderfinger, Flume and Tame Impala.

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Ken is survived by his wife, Cathy and son, Oliver.

In excerpts released earlier this year from an as-yet-unpublished book, West reflected on how what was originally meant to be a Violent Femmes tour blossomed into a huge day-long festival, at least partially off the back of Nirvana's explosion into the mainstream with the release of Nevermind.

Incredibly, the pair sold only 52 tickets on the first day, but demand eventually skyrocketed as the bill swelled to 21 acts across three stages.

"Stephen Pav was touring Nirvana at that time and as luck would have it, they were Violent Femmes fans," he wrote, in an excerpt published on his KenFest (at one point the name of the festival) website.

"Nevermind had been out since late September but was still only on the alternative charts. Soon after we went on sale on November 18 Nirvana exploded worldwide and eventually made the first BDO the hottest ticket in the country."

West, who believed the event would have sold out even without Nirvana's breakout success, said he even got a call from then prime minister Paul Keating trying to buy tickets for his kids.

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British singer-songwriter Billy Bragg paid tribute to West on Thursday night.

"Ken made the whole thing like a party for punters and artists alike," he said, on Twitter. 

"UK bands called it the Big Day Off. 

"Lots of fun memories hanging with Ken and the BDO crew."

Veteran music writer Bernard Zuel described West as an "absolutely crucial part of the music business".

"(He was) the source of so many discoveries, an enthusiast, a wonderful nutcase," he said, on Twitter. 

"He changed things."

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Writing in his book excerpts, West described his role running the BDO as the "greatest job in the world".

"Working and partying with incredible artists who motivated me to create beautiful complex events," he said.

"Human alchemy was taken to its limits. Continually evolving and growing for over 20 years.

"Five million people attended those shows, that's a lot of joy."

More than 60 firefighters have brought a large blaze which engulfed a factory in Melbourne's inner suburbs under control.

The family-owned Middle Eastern import and export business on John Street in Brunswick East has been destroyed as a result of the 'intense' fire.

There were no injuries in relation to the fire, which also spread to two units in an adjoining three-storey apartment.

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About a dozen people were evacuated from surrounding properties.

The owner of the business told 9News that he was inside the shop adjoining the warehouse at the time of the fire.

"He had a couple of customers, fortunately everyone has gotten out safe and sound," the owner said.

Fire Rescue Victoria Chief Fire Officer Brad Quinn said crews were first called to the Brunswick East factory fire at 1pm today after multiple callers notified Triple Zero.

"Firefighters arrived on scene in five minutes to find a factory well alight," a FRV spokesperson said.

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"Wearing breathing apparatus, they attacked the blaze, and are working to bring it under control.

"Our firefighters have worked hard to contain the fire to the building and extinguish the fire that (spread) into the residential property next door."

Mr Quinn praised the FRV crews for bring the fire under control.

He described the fire as very 'intense'.

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"It was a difficult fire to get into an extinguish… It's been a great effort by all the firefighters," he said.

A community advice message remains place for people in nearby areas that smoke may be visible, and to stay informed and monitor conditions.

The warning was issued for residents in Brunswick, Brunswick East, Carlton North, Coburg, Fitzroy North, Northcote, Parkville, Princes Hill, and Thornbury.

Years of frustration had boiled over for a pensioner when he confronted the Prime Minister at a New South Wales pub.

Ray Drury said he was sober but fed up when he gave Scott Morrison a roasting at the Edgeworth Tavern last night in front of a large media contingent.

"When it's stewing up and everything like that over 12 years, and getting rejected, not even listened to, well then of course I'm going to take that opportunity," Mr Drury told NBN News.

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The 73-year-old said he retired after he worked in the mining industry for 30 years.

He receives weekly compensation from the Dust Disease Board through iCare.

However, he said that payment had eaten into his pension.

"I've got prostate cancer, I've got tumours, asbestos tumours," he said.

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"And being ignored by everyone, when I've got a right to earn income too."

The Newcastle resident claimed he had lost more than $70,000 because of the oversight.

He said he had reached out to dozens of MPs who haven't listened to him.

"Why wouldn't I get upset? Every week I get $200 taken out of my pension," he said.

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The Prime Minister's office said it would look into the issues raised by Mr Drury and confirmed government representatives would speak with him directly to reach a solution.

"I reckon it will happen, because I am gonna follow this around, every place where the Liberals go," Mr Drury said.