Veteran journalist and broadcaster George Negus has died at the age of 82 following a battle with Alzheimer's disease, his family said in a statement.

The statement said Negus "passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones" and thanked Australian healthcare workers for supporting him "in the best possible way" during his final moments.

"Despite the challenges diseases like Alzheimer's inflict on families, we still shared beautiful times, laughter and happiness together in recent times.

"We also learnt a lot."