On a turbulent first day of parliament, Bendigo MP Lisa Chesters says she wants inroads on a renewable community battery in 2023.
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The election promise to Maldon is shaping as an immediate local priority as Australia tries to wean itself off of fossil fuels.
Maldon is one of 400 places earmarked for the batteries, some of which could get official approvals by the middle of the year.
MPs returned to parliament on Monday against a backdrop of inflation and cost of living pressures.
"The soaring cost of living is something that is continuously raised with me," Ms Chesters said.
"I know things are tight for many local household budgets. We will continue to work on ways to ease the pressure."
The sentiment is not enough for the opposition, which has accused the government of resting on its laurels over the summer.
"We want to see a government that has the right priorities - so a focus on making sure that Australians are in a position to manage their household budgets, to reduce interest rates and inflation," Liberal leader Peter Dutton said.
His party is calling for the budget to be returned to surplus and lower taxes.
2023 is likely to be dominated by the upcoming referendum on the First Nations and Voice proposal.
The topic has already dominated public debate over summer and a delegation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders are in Canberra this week lobbying for support, the Australian Associated Press has reported.
It has also created a rift in the Greens.
Its Victorian senator Lidia Thorpe quit the party on Monday after clashing with colleagues over the Voice.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
