Funds start flowing in Parkes as Labor commits to installing $500,000 battery in Narrabri

Candidate Jack Ayoub was flanked by Shadow Minister for Climate Change Pat Conroy at the head office of Narrabri battery company Geni.Energy, talking up how their energy policy would support the bush.

"There are two reasons [for choosing Narrabri], for one you've got a great solar resource because you're one of the sunniest parts of the whole country," Mr Conroy said.

"And secondly it's a community that's really receptive to community batteries, so we're working with Geni.Engergy, which is obviously a grassroots organisation which is driving that sort of work."

Mr Ayoub said there are 1500 homes in Narrabri with solar panels, but only nine of them have battery storage to go with it.

He believes installing a battery in the town would allow those who cannot afford to add batteries - particularly residential and commercial renters - to store their power in the grid, which would drive down electricity prices over the space of 12 months by $275.

The program would create short term construction jobs and several ongoing maintenance and operational roles in Narrabri.

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Mr Ayoub said it would add to the mining jobs that already exist in the town, and would support the overall energy industry as opposed to one sector benefiting at the expense of another.

"This is part of a transition to a different source of energy, that is true, but the fundamental point that I'm underlining is it's not a debate between mining and renewable energy, it's a debate about what's economically sensible and what's sensible for us internationally," he said.

"So we've got to make these changes in a long-term, sustainable way, this is one step of that in terms of democratising power and giving people control over their production and use of energy.

"But I do not believe it's a characterisation of one diminishes at the rise of another, it's about advancing all of our options into the future in a visionary way."

Labor has committed to delivering 500,000 new jobs in regional areas if elected, as it targets Nationals-held seats across the country.

Mr Ayoub will be hoping to fair better than at the 2019 election though, when he saw a 5.01 per cent swing against him as Mark Coulton swept up more than 50 per cent of the vote.

Mr Coulton did himself suffer a -7.89 per cent swing however, which has given Labor belief it could at least force Parkes to become a marginal seat.

Labor will have some convincing to do though, with the candidate make up looking similar to 2019 when the Liberal Democrats, United Australia Party and a single independent mopped up more than 20 per cent of the vote combined.

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