The National Party has accused the Prime Minister of dangerous "grandstanding" with her offer to take in Australian-held asylum seekers, after media reports from across the Tasman suggested it had increased people-smuggling attempts.

A report in the Australian newspaper on Tuesday cited a source within the Australian Department of Home Affairs saying there had been a high level of "chatter" from Sri Lanka and Indonesia in which New Zealand was being pushed as a destination for asylum seekers.

"Whether or not people-smugglers genuinely intend for their boats to reach New Zealand, it is clear that they are using publicity around New Zealand's resettlement offer to market their services to vulnerable people in Sri Lanka and elsewhere," the source said.

READ MORE: NZ 'sold as backdoor to Australia' by South East Asian people smugglers

However, they said it was unlikely any boat would actually reach New Zealand, leaving Australia to deal with the issue.

On Tuesday, National Party foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Browlee said the latest report showed Ms Ardern's comments had undermined Australia's efforts to curb people-smuggling.

"While this is a long-standing offer, the Prime Minister's grandstanding not only affected our relationship with our closest ally, but has also reportedly led to more attempts by asylum seekers to reach Australia, and also to target New Zealand," he said.

"This is a dangerous journey which has cost lives and one the Australian government, supported by New Zealand, has worked hard to discourage - and been effective in doing."

The offer was originally raised by the Key government in 2013 and rejected, but pressed again multiple times last year by Ms Ardern, irking the Australian government and raising criticism by the opposition she had overstepped the mark with her criticisms.

The minister responsible for intelligence services in New Zealand, Andrew Little, in December said that there was no evidence boat smugglers were targeting New Zealand after the stand-off.

The report is the latest in a series of leaks from Australian authorities to media after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern last year repeatedly and unsuccessfully pressed her counterpart across the Tasman to allow New Zealand to take in 150 Australia asylum seekers being held at a detention centre on Manus Island.

An leaked Australian diplomatic cable in November alleged sex crimes by asylum seekers on Manus Island.

Another claimed asylum seekers were trying to get to New Zealand had been stopped by Australian authorities - prompting questions about whether Malcolm Turnbull's government was strategically releasing information.