As Queensland's south-east starts to return to normality following ex-Cyclone Alfred, a major marketing campaign is about to rollout to aid the region's recovery.

'Brisbane Favours the Bold' will launch next week, aiming to drive visitation back to the Sunshine State and inject millions into the economy.

The city is back open for business – that's the message from both the local and state governments in the aftermath of Alfred, teasing a new tourism campaign.

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The south-east of the state was ravaged by rain, strong winds and destructive flooding, with local businesses taking a financial hit too.

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred dealing a mighty $68 million blow.

"Aviation was turned off, the Port of Brisbane had to close down, our hotel bookings fell off a cliff," Brisbane Economic Development Agency chief executive Anthony Ryan said.

"What we saw right from the outset was about a 40 per cent immediate decrease in in our hotel bookings."

Council and the state government are splashing out $2.5 million dollars to aid recovery efforts.

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It's all part of a new tourism blitz to bring visitors back to Brisbane.

"Queensland's open for business, Brisbane is open for business, and we want tourists, regardless of where they come from, to flock back to this part of the world," Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said.

Tourism brings in $95m a day and supports one in 12 jobs, he said.

The campaign showcases the very best of the river city.

Unique experiences like Beer Yoga along Brisbane River at the iconic Howard Smith Wharves are among fresh attractions.

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NRL's Magic Round will also be a big pull.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said special sales are also planned especially in the lead up to Easter.

"There's some amazing deals that are being offered both with the airlines, with hotels, with tourism operators," Schrinner said.

The three major airlines are jumping on board launching sales on flights to and from Queensland over the next four weeks.

The campaign kicks off on Monday and is expected to inject tens of millions of dollars into the local economy.

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Donna Fitchett has died just weeks after being released from nearly 20 years in prison for the murder of her two sons.

Fitchett, 66, was found dead at a property on King Street, Prahan in south-east Melbourne yesterday at 7pm following a welfare check, police confirmed.

Police said her death was not being treated as suspicious.

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Fitchett was found guilty of drugging and killing her sons Thomas, 11, and Matthew, nine, at the family's home in Balwyn on September 6, 2005.

She claimed she killed her sons because she loved them too much and had pleaded not guilty to murder on the grounds of insanity.

The boys' father, David Fitchett, discovered his sons when he returned home from work.

Prosecutor Gavin Silbert argued during the 2005 trial that Fitchett had planned the killings days in advance.

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Fitchett was sentenced to 27 years behind bars in 2010, with a non-parole period of 18 years, after she successfully overturned her first conviction and sentence of 24 years.

Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Curtain had described her crimes as "utterly inexplicable".

Fitchett had remained behind bars for close to 20 years before she was recently released.

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.

Diversions are in place while emergency services respond to the accident.

The fatal accident occurred on Main North Rd near Ohanga Rd.

NSW Police have taken 91 knives from 67 people across the state in the few months since new "wanding" laws were introduced.

Laws instated in December allow police to search people for knives using a handheld scanner in certain public locations.

Since then, police have searched 4147 people at train stations, shopping centres, sporting venues and nightlife precincts.

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Police have said they found 91 illegal weapons, leading to 67 people being charged with 71 different offences.

In 34 police operations across NSW, officers seized tasers, slingshots, knuckle dusters, machetes and an extensive variety of knives.

"The number of weapons that have been seized already is shocking," NSW Premier Chris Minns said.

"To have taken almost 100 knives and other weapons off our streets is as horrifying as it is important.

"Our tough knife laws are working and getting weapons out of our community."

NSW laws giving police "wanding" powers take after Jack's Law in Queensland, which was legislated after the stabbing death of 17-year-old Jack Beasley in 2019.

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"There are only very few purposes for anyone to have a knife in their possession in public," NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell said.

"In most circumstances, it is illegal and will only lead to tragedy and the death of innocent people."

Carrying a knife in public without a reasonable excuse can bring a maximum fine of $11,000 or four years in jail.

Last year's law changes also made it illegal to sell knives to children under the age of 18.

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A young person has told a judge how they were groomed by their teacher as a 12-year-old female for ongoing sexual abuse, leaving them a "damaged person".

Kellie Ann-Marie Whiteside, 44, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Brisbane District Court to one count of repeated sexual conduct with a child.

Crown prosecutor Cameron Wilkins discontinued 29 charges of indecent treatment of a child under 16 against Whiteside.

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Chief Judge Brian Devereaux heard Whiteside was working as a science teacher in a school south of Brisbane when she turned a friendship with the victim into sexual abuse.

Wilkins said Whiteside discussed frustrations in her sex life with her husband and swapped intimate images via Instagram and Snapchat messages with the victim.

"The relationship turned sexual in March 2015. At this time the complainant was still 12 years of age but was soon to turn 13," Wilkins said.

"That relationship ultimately continued past the (victim's) 16th birthday and until it ended in March 2023 when (the victim) was 20 years of age."

Whiteside kissed the young person – who now identifies as non-binary – on school grounds and this led to sex acts committed in soccer club toilets, in car parks and in hotels.

Wilkins said Whiteside used manipulation by giving the victim alcohol and demanding their text message exchanges remain secret.

The victim read their impact statement to Devereaux and said they now found it hard to form meaningful relationships.

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"It is common for me to have panic attacks due to my overwhelming anxiety and fear (that) I will always be a damaged person with a warped mindset."

The victim said their parents now felt guilty as if they had failed to protect them.

"I was taught about stranger danger … I was not prepared for a predator to be an adult who was in a position of power … who was a woman," they said.

"My parents trusted her. I trusted her too."

The victim's mother said major milestone events in her child's life were now "tainted" as Whiteside had been involved.

"We were robbed of the joy of watching our child grow up without fear, in a place we thought was safe," she said.

Defence barrister James McNab said Whiteside had been suffering from post-natal depression and difficulties in her marriage at the time of offending.

"She has now lost her job as a teacher and will never work in the profession again," he said.

McNab said Whiteside made extensive admissions when questioned by police and had attended rehabilitation counselling.

Devereaux told Whiteside she had committed an outrageous breach of the trust put in her as a teacher and had caused terrible consequences for the victim and their family.

"You took advantage of a young child at a difficult time in her life," he said.

"I accept (the psychologist's) opinion that you are not highly likely to offend in this way again."

Whiteside was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and will be eligible to apply for parole in March 2027.

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned that Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and Donald Trump's recent tariffs will put pressure on the federal budget, which is set to be handed down next week.

Chalmers was briefly interrupted by protesters at two times during his speech before they were quickly removed.

A man and a woman held banners reading 'No new coal and gas'.

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"When will the Labor Party stop funding new coal and gas projects?" one asked as security led him away.

"Thank you mate, off you go," Chalmers said.

He went on to warn that Alfred and Trump together could stall growth, and lead to price increases and lingering inflation.

Chalmers warned that the cost of the cyclone recovery could mean an immediate $1.2 billion hit to the nation's GDP.

That would push the total amount earmarked in the budget for natural disaster support to $13.5 billion.

"This could wipe one-quarter of a percentage point off quarterly growth," Chalmers said.

"It could also lead to upward pressure on inflation from building costs to damaged crops raising prices for staples like fruit and vegetables," he said.

"We don't yet know the precise cost to our Budget, but again it will be significant."

The warnings come with inflation currently at 2.5 per cent, and core inflation passing economists' expectations at 2.8 per cent last month.

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Chalmers also said fears of a global trade war and increasing tariffs could dampen Australia's economic outlook.

"The rules that underpinned global economic engagement for more than 40 years are being rewritten," he said.

Chalmers said that the direct impact of steel and aluminium tariffs would be manageable for Australia.

"But when you add in the indirect effects, the hit to GDP could be more like 0.1 per cent by 2030," he said.

"In fact, over a range of scenarios, Treasury found the indirect GDP impacts of a trade war could be up to four times larger than the direct effects of tariffs on our economy.

"In a world of retaliation and escalation, the impacts of tariffs are amplified, they linger for longer, resulting in a bigger reduction in GDP and a bigger increase in prices."

Despite this Chalmers signalled that reciprocal tarifs against the US will not be on the cards:

"Our response to this will not be a race to the bottom on tariffs."

Chalmers will hand down the federal budget next Tuesday night on March 25.

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As Lilie James told a friend she was ready for a "break from boys" her ex-lover was meticulously stalking her and planning a brutal murder at a private school.

An inquest into the death of the popular water polo coach and St Andrew's Cathedral School sports assistant was told of her killer's extensive stalking and "dry runs" before he viciously bludgeoned her in October 2023.

The 21-year-old had days earlier ended her brief relationship with colleague Paul Thijssen, a Dutch citizen in Australia on forged documents.

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A three-day inquest, beginning today, will examine coercive control and unacceptable behaviour in relationships, in an attempt to prevent similar deaths.

The inquest was told the pair – both employed as sport assistants at St Andrew's – had a casual two-month relationship James broke off five days before her murder on October 25.

James told a friend on October 21 she "didn't want to be in a meaningless relationship with Paul" and was keen to "have a break from boys", the inquest was told.

Hours later, without her knowledge, Thijssen began the first of seven stalking events over four days, hiring share cars to drive to her home and local train station.

Images shown to the inquest appeared to be the 23-year-old's attempt to catalogue each car parked near the James' family home.

Dozens of CCTV clips captured Thijssen planning his attack at the school in Sydney's city centre.

In several "dry runs", he rehearses entering the bathroom where he would murder James, practising opening the door with either hand.

He later blocks off one adult bathroom that required a key to enter.

"It is chilling, disturbing footage," counsel assisting Jennifer Single SC said in her opening address.

Single said Thijssen's preparation was calculated.

"It was not a momentary loss of control – it was a premeditated killing," she said.

"The killing itself was overkill."

The inquest revealed Thijssen had stalked an earlier partner and spun a web of deceit about his time in Australia.

His lies duped James, friends, housemates, his employer and – with numerous forged documents – Australian visa authorities.

He doctored letters, payslips and references to support working holiday visas obtained in late 2021 and 2023.

Thijssen told numerous people about being enrolled in a masters of teaching degree, even pretending to go off to study at times.

But police found no record of his enrolment at any Sydney university.

Another lie – which James confronted him about two days before her death – involved Thijssen setting up a fake Snapchat account in another woman's name.

"Paul's reaction to being found out was to lie and to try to paint himself as the victim with another woman stalking him," Single said.

After murdering James, Thijssen took his life in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

His body was recovered two days later.

The Thijssen family says it has evidence his life had "become derailed" before the death but that information has not been provided to the coroner.

The parents of James attended the opening day, although they are not represented by lawyers at the inquest.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant is among several expert witnesses to appear during the inquest.

Forensic medical experts are due to give evidence tomorrow morning.

In witness statements, James has been remembered as a gregarious, sporty woman who "it seemed … could do anything."

Her boss said she was wonderful at her role and "always smiling".

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.

Tony Magner says he’s embarrassed by the fall from grace.

The five teenagers, aged 15 and 16, will appear in the Whangārei Youth Court.