A 71-year-old grandfather has died in floodwaters following the discovery of his vehicle this morning at Greenbank in Brisbane's south.

Local man Peter Wells was killed when his ute was washed away at a flooded river crossing early this morning.

It is understood he was just down the road from his home.

READ MORE: Man, woman charged over two-year-old's death

Police were called to reports of a submerged car at a property on Begley Road around 5am this morning.

His car was "found submerged in water", police said.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

Greenbank was hit with more than 150mm in just over an hour, while 11 other areas copped more than 100mm.

Jingle Downs near Amberley recorded more than 150mm while Boonah in the Scenic Rim was hit with 101mm.

The prisoner was charged with attacking the bird, which had to be put down.

Australians should be paying upwards of $50 for a main course meal at a restaurant if the industry is to remain solvent, according to a top Melbourne chef.

Teage Ezard has this week been forced to close his popular inner Melbourne restaurant Gingerboy after 18 years in business.

Hospitality venues say they've seen their business costs soar, but customers are unwilling to see those costs reflected in their bill.

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"Wages have increased, power and gas, amenities have all increased – and the menus have not," Ezard told 9News.

He said the fundamentals of the business won't stack up until diners are willing to pay as much as $60 per plate.

"You pay for what you get… and I think… that's what it costs," he said.

But Australians will be hard to convince.

READ MORE: PM hints energy price relief will be included in federal budget

Recent NAB data shows dining out is the number one area Australians are reducing their spending.

The majority of those surveyed – 54 per cent – say they spent less on restaurant meals in the last three months, saving an average of $115 each.

Separate data shows food and beverage hospitality businesses are at the greatest risk of collapse.

Seven per cent are expected to fail over the next 12 months, according to CreditorWatch data.

A former Seven Network producer appointed to "babysit" Bruce Lehrmann alleges he witnessed him purchase cocaine and attempt to order sex workers to a Sydney hotel, a court has heard.

Former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach told the Federal Court today he was tasked with building trust and rapport with Lehrmann as a prospective interview subject.

Justice Michael Lee has been poised to deliver his final judgment as Lehrmann sues Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson for defamation over an interview with his alleged rape victim, Brittany Higgins.

READ MORE: Eastern Australia braces for heavy soaking

Instead, the court heard fresh evidence from Auerbach about the lead-up to a Spotlight interview in which the 28-year-old denied the rape allegation.

"I had been reappointed to be his babysitter, minder, looking after him," he said.

Auerbach claimed he took a taxi with Lehrmann from Franca restaurant in inner-Sydney Potts Point to the Meriton Hotel in the city centre.

"Mr Lehrmann had over dinner purchased a bag of cocaine while we were dining at Franca," he said.

"When we got upstairs to the room he pulled that out and started to put it on a plate and then started talking to me about a prospective Spotlight story and his desire to order prostitutes to the Meriton that night."

Auerbach said he told Lehrmann that he did not have the means to pay for the sex workers and that the potential interviewee should fund them himself.

In a text to his then-boss, Steve Jackson, he said he raised concerns over Lehrmann's behaviour.

"I told him that Bruce was on the warpath again and that it was no anomaly," Auerbach said.

"I think I used the words, 'this is f—–'."

READ MORE: Ute driver behind bars after triple bust on Easter long weekend

Auerbach made a claim for psychological injury against Seven following the expiration of his two-year employment contract in August, he told the court in an affidavit.

That claim was settled on confidential terms, he said.

Auerbach endured bullying and antisemitism over a significant period at Seven, his lawyer Rebekah Giles earlier told the court.

She said he would need to produce further documents to comply with a subpoena in the defamation case.

Lee said the documents might be relevant to an alleged abuse of process as well as determining the credit of witnesses, including Lehrmann.

Seven has also been told to provide a subpoena explaining why some documents had only been recently produced following further searches prompted by Auerbach's affidavit.

After a successful last-minute bid by Ten, Auerbach is expected to testify that Lehrmann leaked confidential texts from Higgins to Seven in breach of what is known as the Harman undertaking.

The former Liberal staffer gained access to the private and personal texts through the abandoned criminal case against him, but the material was not tendered into evidence.

Auerbach has claimed Lehrmann supplied Seven with material on a paid golf trip to Tasmania as well as at a property rented for the ex-staffer by the network in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

He also said Seven paid tens of thousands of dollars to Lehrmann, including reimbursing him for "illicit drugs and prostitutes" and covering costs for expensive dinners, plane flights and accommodation.

Seven has denied Auerbach's allegations, labelling them "false and misleading".

Lehrmann rejects that anything sexual happened between himself and Higgins.

His criminal trial was derailed due to juror misconduct, with prosecutors dropping the charge over fears for Higgins' mental health.

He is seeking substantial damages from Ten, claiming a report that aired on The Project in February 2021 ruined his reputation.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

Robert Sands, who hoodwinked two businesses, claims he also was caught up in a scam.

Brace yourselves, landlubbers – Australia's east coast could be set for a weather phenomenon with a name straight out of a pirate movie.

The coast is in for a soaking in the coming days, with heavy rains forecast for Queensland and New South Wales.

Two weather systems are bringing the deluge, prompting flood warnings across several regions.

READ MORE: Ute driver behind bars after triple bust on Easter long weekend

In southern Queensland and northern NSW, a low pressure system is expected to start producing storms and rain today into tomorrow.

This will be joined by a coastal trough that will funnel moisture from the tropics down along the coastlines of both states.

It could also lead to something magnificently dubbed a "black nor-easter".

"When a cut-off low and coastal trough interact at the same time, it is often a recipe for heavy rainfall and flooding along the east coast," Weatherzone said.

"The cold upper air cools down the warmer, saturated air, forcing large amounts of moisture to fall as rain."

This can lead to the aformentioned "black nor-easter", so named because of the dark clouds that can turn the skies black during the day.

The term was first written down in a 1911 edition of the Sydney Morning Herald.

Flood warnings in place

In New South Wales, warnings are in place around Sydney, the Hawkesbury, Liverpool, Tempe and Camden.

In the regions, warnings are also in place for the Northern Rivers region, the Mid North Coast, Wollombi Brook, the South Coast and parts of the state's north-west.

Further weather warnings have been issued for the Hunter, Northern Tablelands, Illawarra, South Coast, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, North West Slopes & Plains, Central West Slopes & Plains, South West Slopes, Riverina, Snowy Mountains and Australian Capital Territory forecast districts.

However, a thunderstorm warning for the north of the state has been cancelled.

Flood warnings are also in place on multiple Queensland rivers, including the Diamantina, Leichhardt, Flinders, and Norman.

Drivers urged to take care

New South Wales motorists have been urged to "take extreme care" on the roads as severe weather is forecast for the next few days.

An estimated 300mm could hit Sydney in the next 48 hours, causing flash flooding and dangerous road conditions.

Those travelling to or from the Illawarra and Hunter, Nepean and Blue Mountains should expect severe weather. 

"For those who need to travel, please take your time and plan ahead by checking Live Traffic NSW to see if your route is impacted by severe weather," Executive Director of Customer Journey Planning Craig Moran said.

"Drive to conditions, turn your headlights on and allow plenty of distance between you and the car in front.

"Do not drive through flooded roads. If weather conditions become too severe, find a safe place to stop and wait until it passes.

"Passengers catching public transport should plan ahead, check timetables and allow extra travel time."

READ MORE: Strongest earthquake in 25 years rocks Taiwan, killing nine people and stranding 70 workers in quarries

A powerful low-pressure system is moving towards both states, which will combine with the effects of a trough making its way down the coast.

Residents in affected areas are urged to put together their essential supplies, including important documents and medicines, in case they have to leave.

Some models suggest as much as 150mm could fall in just six hours, with severe thunderstorms also possible.

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