Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand troops will only stay in Iraq for two years.
However, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says a military solution and change in ideological narrative is needed, which will take some time.
"It's not useful to put a time frame on it - that will just play into the hands of the terrorist organisations," she told TV3's The Nation on Saturday.
"They will either wait it out or increase their activities, so I don't intend to give a terrorist organisation the comfort of knowing how long the coalition of countries will seek to defeat it."
No responsible nation could stand by while the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant continued its activities, she said.
New Zealand is sending 16 specialist trainers to Iraq supported by more than 100 military personnel.
Mr Key didn't think ISIL would be defeated in two years, but says New Zealand would not stay in Iraq longer than that.
"If after two years we haven't done a good enough job or haven't achieved enough in terms of training trainers and training people will it make any difference if it's five or 10 years?" he told the programme.
"In some senses I think this is about making a contribution and leaving. We could be in the Middle East forever if we don't take that approach."
He had made this clear to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Mr Key said.
New Zealand has been a reliable country in its contributions to international aid including contributing to RAMSI in the East Timor and sending Ebola nurses to Africa, he said.
"But we're a small country, we've got a limited amount of capability and I think we deploy for a period of time - not forever."
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