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A stirring third quarter has earned the Diamonds a comeback win over New Zealand and ensured a dramatic week for Netball Australia ended with possession of the Constellation Cup.

Australia trailed by six early against New Zealand at a packed Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, and the Silver Ferns maintained strong all-court intensity to hold a five-goal lead at the main break.

But a 19-8 third quarter powered by goal attack Steph Wood and captain Liz Watson turned the tables as the hosts prevailed 57-53.

Australia's big win in Melbourne on Wednesday helped ensure the Diamonds retained the trophy on goal difference, despite losing the first two games in New Zealand.

The match was played as Netball Australia (NA) took stock of Hancock Prospecting's decision on Saturday to withdraw a game-changing $15 million sponsorship deal.

It came after Indigenous player Donnell Wallam's concerns over the company's record on Indigenous matters, dating back 40 years to offensive comments by current owner Gina Rinehart's late father Lang Hancock.

"I probably showed a bit more emotion than I did at Comm Games (after winning gold)," coach Stacey Marinkovich said.

"I live and breath what this team goes through and our loudest voice is what we do on the court.

"We had a full house, a responsibility of going out and showing the Australian way of playing.

"To see them challenged early and bounce back, shows incredible mental toughness and resilience."

Wallam, set to debut this week against England, had the backing of her team and had reportedly agreed to wear the company's logo on her uniform after initially asking for an exemption.

But the deal was pulled in any event, while mining firm Roy Hill, majority-owned by Hancock, will also withdraw its sponsorship of Netball WA and the West Coast Fever.

Rinehart's company took aim at NA's "virtue signalling". NA boss Kelly Ryan responded that a balance needed to be struck between allowing "strong social conversations" and the "commercial realities" of funding a high-performance program.

With Wallam and Ryan watching from the sideline, the Diamonds battled to match New Zealand's pressure in the first half but exploded with a series-clinching third quarter.

They scored 12 of the first 14 goals in the term, with Wood working ferociously around the edges and wing attack Watson spoiling New Zealand attacks with deflections and intercepts.

Wood (21 from 27) was forced to work overtime for her opportunities and initially that paid off for the visitors.

But alongside Sophie Garbin (36 from 39) and an unrelenting midcourt, the Commonwealth Games champions were able to create more space.

Goal keeper Courtney Bruce enjoyed her battle with the taller Grace Nweke (39 from 43) while Ameliaranne Ekenasio (14 from 15) was well held.

"We know that there might be something happening behind the scenes but their ability to execute and deliver is always consistent and that's why they're so good," Silver Ferns coach Noelene Taurua said of the Diamonds' off-court drama.

"They're strong as a unit ... and sometimes you can push things to the side."

Australia begin a three-game series against England on Wednesday in Newcastle.

© AAP 2022

An extra $33 billion will go towards the pension and other welfare payments in the federal budget, with inflation largely responsible for growing welfare costs.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government needed to find billions in extra funding because welfare payments are pegged to inflation.

"One of the pressures on the budget is making sure we can find room for that indexation so that people who are on pensions and payments get a little bit of help twice a year to try and keep up with the skyrocketing cost of living," Dr Chalmers told ABC News.

He said about a third of the additional $33 billion would go to the aged pension and another third to JobSeeker payments.

The Albanese government is delivering its first budget against a backdrop of soaring inflation that's expected to peak at 7.75 per cent.

The latest round of floods are predicted to keep inflation higher for longer by driving up the costs of produce.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said high inflation was leading to the fastest and most continuous tightening of monetary policy in decades.

He said this was putting real pressure on households but the budget would need to stick to modest, targeted cost of living relief that would not drive inflation higher.

"The right response to that in the budget on Tuesday night is a budget that's responsible, a budget that does not add to inflationary pressure," he told reporters in Perth.

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said the government was giving up on managing cost of living pressures.

"They're saying they're going to shed 150,000 jobs, they seem to be giving up on real wage increases in this election cycle," he told ABC News.

"That's incredibly disappointing," he said.

The Albanese government has also released details about its "family-friendly" budget, which includes a plan to extend the paid parental leave scheme from 20 to 26 weeks.

As well, new rules will open up the Commonwealth's extended parental pay scheme to more families.

Starting from July next year, parents hoping to access the scheme will be assessed on a dual income basis, with $350,000 the combined cut off.

Parents have previously been assessed on their individual incomes.

At the last election, the previous Coalition government also promised to change the income thresholds.

Under the Albanese government's new scheme, parents will be able to take their leave at the same time and the rules will be tweaked to make it easier for parents whose partners' don't meet residency requirements to access the scheme.

The changes are expected to benefit more than 180,000 families nationally.

The government will invest $12.4 million into playgroups and toy libraries as part of its budget support for families.

Labor has also promised to boost Commonwealth childcare subsidies for most families.

On Sunday, the government committed $50 million to modernise a zinc smelter in Hobart and another $50 million to fund an Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Western Australia in partnership with the state government.

© AAP 2022

Two fresh weather systems are closing in on NSW, one expected to dump as much as 200mm of rain, prompting warnings of a "very dangerous" 48 hours ahead.

The latest evacuation orders have been issued for Moree as a major flood peak looms on the Mehi River, a tributary of the Gwydir River, threatening to surpass a 10.87m high mark recorded 67 years ago.

In all, there are 120 flood warnings current around NSW, 20 of them at emergency level.

Premier Dominic Perrottet pleaded with people to avoid driving through floodwaters, pointing to how the rescue of one motorist had recently tied up 20 emergency services volunteers.

"That is taking resources away from our emergency services and importantly, you are risking their lives," he said on Sunday,

The state's SES had conducted 34 rescues and responded to almost 400 requests for help over 24 hours as of Sunday afternoon.

A man in his 30s died in a suspected drowning on Saturday at West Ballina, on the far north coast, while two men stranded in vehicles in the Southern Tablelands centre of Yass were rescued overnight.

Emergency Services Minister Stephanie Cook said there was a flood risk in "every corner" of NSW.

"We are facing a very dangerous 48 hours across NSW," she said.

One weather system is entering NSW from South Australia, bringing fresh rain, while another is hovering at the coastal Queensland border, which has the potential to dump up to 200mm on the already saturated Northern Rivers region.

Authorities say renewed thunderstorms have impacted multiple flood-affected communities along swollen rivers.

Most are in areas surrounding Moree, Gunnedah and the neighbouring village of Carroll on the northern Namoi River, the Riverina town of Narrandera on the Murrumbidgee and Moama on the Murray River.

The Bureau of Meteorology expects heavy rain over the state's northeast from Sunday morning, affecting Lismore, Grafton, Casino, Kyogle, Yamba and Maclean.

Falls of up to 150mm in six hours were possible in some areas.

The bureau's Jane Golding said the system at the NSW / Queensland border was an "evolving risk" and causing meteorologists concern.

"We will have to see how much rain the system produces," she said.

SES Commissioner Carlene York told people to follow evacuation orders.

"It is better to be inconvenienced for 48 hours and go back when we say it is safe," she said.

Crews will be performing rapid damage assessments to quickly give residents the green light to return.

Mr Perrottet said the flood's impact on the state's coffers was "difficult" but NSW had been in a good position before the COVID-19 pandemic to handle multiple crises.

"The NSW budget is not an end to itself, it is there to help families and people right across NSW," he said.

Two hundred Australian Defence Force personnel have been deployed in Dubbo, Moree and the Northern Rivers, with two additional ADF helicopters ready for night rescues.

Specialist swift-water rescue crews have also been dispatched to the flood-threatened north while others are in place on the Macquarie River, at Dubbo.

© AAP 2022