Australian shares are set to dip at open on Wednesday, likely brought down by the country's energy and gold stocks due to weaker commodities prices, while investors take a cautious stance over concerns around the potential economic impact of the Omicron coronavirus.

The local share price index futures fell 0.4%, a 27.4-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark closed flat on Tuesday.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 0.2% to 12,899.04 points in early trade.