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Australia's new $9.6 billion infrastructure injection won't drive inflation, the Albanese government says as it prepares to hand down its first budget.

Responsible investments rather than waste and rorts, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher says, will get Australia's bottom line back on track.

The federal government will pump money into rail and road schemes, including $2.2 billon backing Victoria's Suburban Rail Link.

But Senator Gallagher says the huge investment won't contribute to inflationary pressures as Australia's rate continues to hit record highs.

"There is some additional money going in, in line with our election commitments ... we're not going to be adding to inflation through this program. We are managing it responsibly," she told Sky News on Sunday.

"Through the budget more broadly, we have been looking for savings through that audit."

That responsible management, the government says, will mean extending timeframes on some projects, while cutting others altogether.

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King pointed to the previous government's commuter car park scheme as one example of something that could save the nation some coin.

"There will be some cuts, particularly in terms of those things that we saw were basically just extraordinary rorts," she told the ABC's Insiders on Sunday.

"There's a lot of things the previous government announced with a lot of fanfare, but when you actually look at the capacity constraints, you look at the amount of money available, they're really going to take a long time to build.

"There'll be some re-profiling that's built into the budget, pushing those out a bit with more realistic time frames for actual delivery of them."

Asked if the government would cull regional support packages the Nationals secured as part of their lengthy negotiations to support net-zero emissions by 2050, Senator Gallagher said no individual program was being targeted.

"If it stacks up we're pretty supportive, but there are areas where we've got to reduce spending and reallocate in the budget. We're looking at that across the board," she said.

"We are genuinely looking to rebalance the budget and make sure every dollar spent is going into something that's needed and also something that's going to deliver an economic dividend."

Opposition MP Ted O'Brien said any funding cuts to regional areas were indicative of the government's attitude towards them.

"The Labor government has a track record of ignoring the regions ... we'll be watching out for that," he told Sky News.

"It probably won't surprise some people but this is what they do - Labor's back, so are taxes and so are the regions being ignored."

Mr O'Brien was also asked about his push to put nuclear energy on the agenda as the government seeks to address rising prices.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appeared to mock that nuclear push at the NSW Labor conference on Saturday.

"The prime minister can make as much fun as he likes but Australian households are struggling right now, their power bills are going up, they're not laughing," Mr O'Brien said.

"In the real economy, people are hurting and he promised people ... they would reduce power bills to the tune of $275 for households, but what we've seen is power prices skyrocketing."

Treasurer Jim Chalmers will deliver the budget on October 25.

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A nearly $10 billion infrastructure cash splash will see the construction of road and rail projects across the country.

The federal government is pledging $9.6 billion in the October budget as it lays out spending for the 2022/23 year.

"It's about making journeys quicker but also making sure people can get home to their families safely," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday.

"Sound and planned infrastructure investment in Australia creates jobs, builds opportunity and unlocks economic growth and productivity for our cities and our regions."

Victoria is one of the biggest winners, with $2.2 billion to help fund the state's Suburban Rail Loop.

There will be $300 million for western Sydney roads and another $500 million for the High Speed Rail Authority.

Freight highways in the heart of South Australia will get a $1.5 billion upgrade and maintenance package.

Brisbane and Tasmanian roads will see between $500 million to $600 million each to upgrade road corridors, while Perth will get $125 million in funding for an electric bus network.

But the scheme has already draw criticism, with Australia's most populous state NSW receiving about $1 billion in funding compared with $2.57 billion to Victoria.

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King admitted that was due to a contentious relationship with NSW's coalition government.

"We had a slightly different relationship in opposition with the Victorians as we did with NSW, so we didn't really have a lot of projects on the table from opposition with them," she told the ABC's Insiders on Sunday.

"But we'll talk to the NSW government in the lead-up to the May budget as to where their priorities are."

At least one of the those potential projects would be raising the Warragamba Dam, which will cost $1.6 billion.

Ms King said that would be discussed before next year's budget.

It also means the end of cash for so-called "zombie projects" that had been sitting flagged but never realised in budgets under the previous coalition government, including the East West link in Victoria and the Perth Freight Link.

The Northern Territory will receive a $2.5 billion boost, including $332 million towards the NT Strategic Roads Package.

"Good infrastructure helps strengthen the economy and build connections between communities," she said.

The $9.6 billion pledge follows a promise unveiled on Saturday by Mr Albanese to add another six weeks to the government-funded parental leave package by 2026.

It would mean Australians could access six months of parental leave, which the prime minister hoped would inspire the private sector to set the new limit as a "baseline".

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The Kangaroos have ended their three-year hiatus with a solid if unspectacular win over Fiji to kick off their Rugby League World Cup campaign.

In front of 13,366 fans at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, the defending champions finished up 42-8 winners but the scoreline didn't reflect how rusty they were for the opening 20 minutes on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).

Eventually they clicked into gear as the game wore on, with Josh Addo-Carr scoring a double as he rekindled his partnership with Latrell Mitchell on the Kangaroos' left edge.

"We were a bit clunky with the football but I was really happy with our defence," said coach Mal Meninga.

"It means our attitude was good. We can get better with the football

"I think with seven debutants that was a good first hitout with a week's preparation."

Daly Cherry-Evans, who is battling with Nathan Cleary for the halfback role, was dependable if not extraordinary as his halves partner Cameron Munster was named man of the match.

One concern for Meninga as his side head to Coventry to face Scotland next week will be a concussion for debutant Reuben Cotter.

The North Queensland forward banged heads with Fijian prop Tui Kamikamica in the second half and didn't return after failing his HIA.

Meninga is expected to rotate the rest of his squad but Cotter will be forced to sit out for the next 11 days in line with the World Cup's concussion protocols.

Second-rower Jeremiah Nanai could face suspension for a spear tackle on Fiji halfback Brandon Wakeham late in the game.

Canterbury playmaker Wakeham was part of a rag-tag side Fijian side who threw everything at Australia and got their reward when Canberra centre Semi Valemei opened the scoring after just three minutes.

Wakeham failed to make the conversion but the Bati were winning the ruck and Australia were made to fight for every inch.

When they did get up the other end Australia lacked patience and had to work for Nanai to crack the Fiji line with a quarter of an hour gone.

It took the daring of Mitchell to spark Australia out of their slumber when he passed to Addo-Carr in space on first tackle and the winger sprinted 90 metres downfield for his first try of the tournament.

Angus Crichton followed him over the line as the half drew to a close with Valentine Holmes' faultless kicking giving Australia an 18-4 lead at the break.

Mitchell went over soon after half-time and from there the procession began for the Kangaroos.

Hooker Harry Grant, whose cunning and scheming around the ruck troubled Fiji, scored a simple try after registering a 40/20, with captain James Tedesco joining him on the scoresheet.

Fiji fullback Sunia Turuva nabbed a try back at the death to the delight of the locals.

"We started really well but just gave up too much possession," said Fiji coach Wise Kativerata.

"We still hung in there. We need to work on keeping it simple and then we will push every nation.

"It was our basics that let us down today."

© AAP 2022