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A key price gauge shows cost of living pressures are easing, but the treasurer warns Australia's inflationary challenge is far from over.

Inflation fell to 6.9 per cent in the year to October after hitting 7.3 per cent in September, according to the monthly consumer price index.

Recently introduced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to supplement the main quarterly index, the monthly measure of price pressures remains well above the two to three per cent inflation range targeted by the central bank.

Trimmed mean inflation declined slightly from an annual pace of 5.4 per cent in September to 5.3 per cent in October.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers cautiously welcomed the slowdown in inflation but warned the recent floods and surging energy costs were yet to impact prices.

"Importantly, this data does not fully include the price impacts of the recent floods, nor the impact from higher energy costs in recent months," he said in parliament.

Softening prices across some key categories helped pull the index lower as better growing conditions fed into lower prices for fruit and vegetables.

The cost of the fresh food items increased at an annual rate of 9.4 per cent in October compared to 17.4 per cent in September.

Holiday travel and accommodation prices also moderated dropping from 12.6 per cent in September to 3.7 per cent annual growth in October after the end of school holidays and peak European and American travel seasons helped pull airfares down.

But the restoration of the full fuel excise appeared in the October reading, pushing this indicator up slightly, as did low vacancy rates, which fed into higher rents.

ABS head of prices statistics Michelle Marquardt said a scheduled change to the way the bureau calculated the consumer index in order to reflect shifting spending patterns was partially responsible for the unexpected monthly decline.

Under the old weighting system, the headline inflation reading would have been 7.1 per cent rather than 6.9 per cent, she said.

St George economist Jameson Coombs said the monthly index was more volatile than the quarterly version and the monthly slip did not necessarily indicate a changing trend.

"(The rate) is very elevated and suggests inflation remains broad-based across the economy," he said.

Despite the weakening inflation figure, NAB economists said the results were unlikely to sway the RBA's opinion on interest rate hikes.

They still expect inflation to peak in the final quarter of 2022 and three more 25-basis point rate rises in December, February and March.

Other experts think the RBA is closer to the end of its hiking cycle.

Commonwealth Bank economists think the central bank will hike once more in December by 25 basis points before hitting pause to let tighter monetary policy wash through.

Separate figures from the ABS showed new dwelling approvals continued tracking down in October, falling six per cent over the month after a 8.1 per cent drop in September.

Apartment approvals led the decline, while private-sector houses decreased by only 2.2 per cent.

The bureau also released data on completed construction work, which rose 2.2 per cent in the September quarter as the industry continued to process a significant backlog.

After a depressed June quarter reading, residential building activity lifted by 1.3 per cent over the September quarter.

Non-residential building activity increased by 1.1 per cent in the quarter and activity was expected to remain strong due to a sizeable pipeline of new projects.

© AAP 2022

Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright has made his first appearance in a Darwin court over a slew of charges related to a helicopter crash that killed a cast member.

The crocodile trapper-turned-media personality says he is disappointed police charged him in connection with the "tragic accident" and he would fight the allegations.

He is accused of perverting the course of justice and destruction of evidence stemming from the February crash that killed Chris Wilson.

Wright, 43, is also charged with fabricating evidence, interfering with witnesses, making a false declaration and two counts of unlawful entry after the helicopter crashed into trees and the ground in a remote part of Arnhem Land in February.

He appeared in Northern Territory Local Court on Wednesday with two lawyers and an unidentified woman, who provided emotional support during the hearing.

Judge John Neill varied Wright's bail after his lawyers applied for six new conditions, not outlined in court.

The proceedings were briefly interrupted by a woman protesting over one of Wright's lawyers, David Newey, asking media to move so his client could sit down.

Judge Neill had the woman removed from the packed courtroom.

Wright's bail was extended until January 25, when his case will return to the same court without the star, who was excused from attending that hearing.

Outside court, Mr Newey said Wright was "naturally disappointed that the charges have been laid as a result of what was a tragic accident that took the life of Matt's closest friend".

"Matt Wright strenuously denies the charges and will be defending them.

"Regulatory investigations have found no defect in the helicopter engine. The aircraft was flown following an inspection by independent aviation experts a few weeks before that cleared the helicopter for flight.

"Matt requests that the media respect his privacy and that of Chris Wilson and his family and the privacy of his wife who has recently given birth to his daughter."

Wright, a father of two, turned himself in on Tuesday after police issued an arrest warrant a day earlier.

Mr Wilson, 34, died when the Robinson R44 helicopter he was attached to by a 30-metre line using a harness crashed in west Arnhem Land.

His body was found 40 metres from the main wreckage at the King River crash site, a preliminary Air Transport Safety Bureau report revealed in April.

Mr Wilson, also a father of two, was dangling from the strap to harvest eggs from crocodile nests in swampy areas while the helicopter hovered above.

The crashed helicopter was one of three collecting eggs on the day. It was found by one of the other crews after failing to respond to radio calls.

Pilot Sebastian Robinson was seriously injured and airlifted to Maningrida, before being transferred to hospital in Darwin.

A preliminary ATSB analysis of the site indicated the accident happened when the helicopter's main rotor blade struck and cut through a tree trunk multiple times before the aircraft hit the ground.

In a statement on Monday, a representative for Wright said the star's immediate concern following the accident was the condition of the two team members on board at the time.

"The next priority was ensuring the other helicopters and team members at the site weren't at risk and that the location was safe."

Outback Wrangler is an adventure TV series filmed for National Geographic in remote Top End locations that airs in Australia on Nine and Netflix and in more than 90 countries.

The show chronicles the capture and transport of dangerous animals that pose a threat to people, including crocodiles and buffalo.

NT police officer Neil Mellon and helicopter pilot Michael Burbidge have also been charged in relation to the crash.

© AAP 2022

Scott Morrison has become the first former prime minister to be censured by the parliament over his secret appointments to multiple ministerial portfolios.

The censure motion passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday 86 votes to 50.

Liberal MP Bridget Archer urged her party to draw a line in the sand over their former leader before she voted for the censure.

Ms Archer said while the coalition made many good decisions to protect the nation during the pandemic, Mr Morrison's actions were "entirely unnecessary".

"I do not accept any of the explanations put forward by the former prime minister and I'm deeply disappointed by the lack of a genuine apology or, importantly, understanding of the impact of his decisions," she said.

While senior Liberal MPs dismissed the motion as a political stunt, the backbencher said it would be hypocritical for her not to support it because of her advocacy for integrity.

"This issue sits at the heart of the ability of our party to move forward and this is a clear opportunity for a line to be drawn and to move in the right direction," Ms Archer said.

Former minister Karen Andrews, who has previously called for Mr Morrison to resign from parliament, abstained from the vote.

Mr Morrison defended his decision and described the powers as a "dormant redundancy".

The former Liberal leader said the motion amounted to "political intimidation" by the Albanese government.

"I note the criticisms made of my decisions to be authorised to administer a series of departments have been made from the safety and relative calm of hindsight," he said.

"The government's response to censure and prosecute this motion is to engage in the politics of retribution and nothing less."

Mr Morrison said if he had been asked about the appointments at press conferences, he would have responded truthfully.

He also offered a qualified apology "to those who were offended".

"I acknowledge that non-disclosure of arrangements has caused unintentional offence and extend an apology to those who were offended," he said.

"But I do not apologise for taking action in a national crisis in order to save lives and to save livelihoods."

Opposition MPs shook hands with Mr Morrison after he finished. Ms Archer remained seated.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he expected the parliament to see "some semblance of contrition" from his predecessor.

"We got none of that. Instead, we got hubris, arrogance and denial," he said.

Mr Albanese said Australia's democracy was precious and there was no room for complacency.

"The former prime minister owes an apology to the Australian people for his undermining of democracy."

House leader Tony Burke said the censure motion went to the core of the Westminster principle of responsible government.

Mr Burke said the former prime minister undermined, rejected, attacked and abused the standards expected of parliamentarians.

He said Mr Morrison's conduct had prevented the House of Representatives from doing its job and it was "so completely unacceptable".

Censure motions do not have any legal consequences, but they are rare and give parliamentarians the chance to formally disapprove of their colleagues.

Mr Morrison appointed himself minister of health, finance, industry, science, energy and resources, treasury and home affairs between 2020 and 2021, without the knowledge of most of his coalition colleagues.

The government agreed to implement all six recommendations from former High Court judge Virginia Bell's report into Mr Morrison's conduct, to improve the transparency of ministerial appointments.

Legislative changes to improve transparency are expected to get the coalition's backing.

Mr Morrison said he supported the changes recommended in the Bell report.

© AAP 2022