Cricket Australia will take the unprecedented step of playing a Sheffield Shield game overseas to help the Test side prepare for a series in New Zealand.

Dates for Australia's three-Test series against New Zealand and the West Indies have already been locked in, but the full 2015-16 schedule will be announced on Thursday.

The South Island town of Lincoln will host a first-class match between NSW and Western Australia next year, starting on February 3.

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CA shifted the fixture overseas instead of scheduling a tour game prior to the two-Test series in New Zealand, which starts on February 12.

The majority of Test players not involved in the one-day series against the Blackcaps are likely to feature in the Shield game.

"If we were to schedule a warm-up game, it would have to happen in parallel with the Chappell-Hadlee ... and Sheffield Shield," high-performance manager Pat Howard said.

"That would obviously have a negative impact on the Shield because we'd have to pull extra players out of that competition.

"Therefore we thought bringing a Shield match, involving a number of international players, to New Zealand was a different option that gives us some strong preparation in local conditions."

The other two Shield games in round six will be played on the east coast of Australia.

"Obviously we can't cater for everyone in that scenario, and a number of our Test players will be playing in the Chappell-Hadlee series," Howard said.

The Shield has been running since 1892-93 and there has never been a fixture played outside Australia.