As it happened: Brisbane on Monday, June 2

An emergency zone has been declared in inner Ipswich after a car crash caused a potential gas leak.

Police said two cars crashed at the intersection of Clifton Street and Alexandra Street in Booval about 11.30am, with one vehicle hitting a high-pressure gas main.

People have been told to stay away from an area bounded by Alexandra Street, Clifton Street, Bergin Street and Dudleigh Street.

Residents of homes within the exclusion zone have been told to remain indoors, with doors and windows closed.

Thanks for joining us today for live coverage of the news in Brisbane and beyond. We’ll be back tomorrow morning with more live news coverage, so please join us then.

In the meantime, here are some of the stories making headlines today:

A 69-year-old cyclist has died after he was hit by a train at a level crossing near Runcorn station, in Brisbane’s south, before dawn this morning.

A Queensland mother accused of fatally stabbing her three-year-old daughter has died after being found unresponsive while in custody.

The Crisafulli government has announced a 20-year plan for the tourism industry, with the state’s tourism minister suggesting Queensland would rival destinations such as Tasmania and New Zealand by 2045.

Ukrainian secret services have destroyed billions of dollars worth of Russian warplanes overnight, officials say, in a surprise attack carried out by explosive-laden drones snuck into Russia on trucks.

Among the Brisbane homes auctioned at the weekend was one of West End’s last untouched Queenslanders, which sold for $2.5 million in a heated auction that drew a crowd of more than 100.

And while food-focused locals readily debate who does Brisbane’s best char kway teow, one venue tends to crop up the most. Our food and culture editor Matt Shea meets the couple behind Uncle Lai’s.

An emergency zone has been declared in inner Ipswich after a car crash caused a potential gas leak.

Police said two cars crashed at the intersection of Clifton Street and Alexandra Street in Booval about 11.30am, with one vehicle hitting a high-pressure gas main.

People have been told to stay away from an area bounded by Alexandra Street, Clifton Street, Bergin Street and Dudleigh Street.

Residents of homes within the exclusion zone have been told to remain indoors, with doors and windows closed.

Three men accused of murdering two people, who allegedly died in a toolbox dumped into a lagoon, have pleaded not guilty.

Stou Daniels, Davy Malu Junior Taiao, and Trent Michael Thrupp are charged with murdering Cory Breton, 28, and Iuliana Triscaru, 31, at Kingston in Logan, south of Brisbane, on January 24, 2016.

A crane lifts the metal toolbox containing the two bodies from a lagoon in Logan.Credit: Nine News Brisbane/Twitter

All three men pleaded not guilty to two murder charges at the start of their trial in the Queensland Supreme Court on Monday.

Police divers found the bodies of Breton and Triscaru in the box at the bottom of the lagoon weeks after it was allegedly thrown into the water while weighed down by concrete blocks and tyres.

Read the full story.

A motorbike rider police say was caught travelling 134kmh in a 60kmh speed zone on the Sunshine Coast has copped a fine exceeding $2000.

In police bodycam footage, the 28-year-old Forest Glen man was recorded saying he was “kind of going a [bit] fast” when passing a police officer on Sandalwood Lane, in Forest Glen, on May 24.

The 28-year-old was also found to be riding without a licence on an uninsured bike and tested positive for cannabis, with police issuing a 24-hour licence suspension.

He was issued two fines for exceeding the speed limit and riding an unregistered motorbike – totalling $2112 and eight demerit points – and was expected to appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on August 12.

Senior Sergeant Shane Panoho said that of the nine road casualties recorded in the region this year, more than half were motorbike riders.

“Riding a motorbike is fun but can be a dangerous activity if not ridden correctly,” he said.

The Crisafulli government has announced a 20-year plan for the tourism industry, with the state’s tourism minister suggesting Queensland would rival destinations such as Tasmania and New Zealand by 2045.

Destination 2045: Queensland’s Tourism Future includes six strategic priorities to build Queensland’s tourism industry, with plans to expand ecotourism, attract world-class events, create a fund to entice direct flights to new markets, rejuvenate the Great Barrier Reef islands and boost marketing.

Natural Bridge in the Springbrook National Park on the Gold Coast.

The first 45 ecotourism projects to be delivered include the Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook Island; the Wangetti Trail, north of Cairns; the Whitsunday Skyway in Airlie Beach; the Ngaro Trail on Whitsunday Island; and upgrades of day use areas in Lake Eacham and Springbrook National Park.

Read the full story.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has condemned a protest at the Wickham on Saturday, saying the demonstration had discriminated against Jewish people.

“Imagine heading to the pub for a party – and being ambushed just because of your faith and culture,” Schrinner wrote in a post on Facebook.

“Brisbane should be a place where everyone feels safe, welcome and respected – no matter who they are, where they come from, or what they believe.”

The State Zionist Council of Queensland had booked a space at the well-known Fortitude Valley venue for a “White Shavuot Party” to celebrate the Jewish festival, which began on Sunday.

The booking prompted a snap protest outside, with some Wickham Hotel staff joining the roughly 150 people stationed outside.

Schrinner called the move “divisive” and “sickening”, although protesters maintained they were not motivated by antisemitism.

Leader of the Nationals, David Littleproud, has lashed out at the conduct of insurance companies in his western Queensland electorate, where he has seen premiums surge.

Speaking to Sky News this morning, Littleproud said some insurance companies were “having a lend” of their customers.

David Littleproud with a farmer in rural Queensland.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“I’m a bit cynical about some of the insurance companies out in western Queensland and what they’ve done to some of the people I represent in these premium increases when we haven’t had a flood that’s breached the levy we built, yet they lift them back up again,” Littleproud said.

“There’s fault on both sides, but what this needs is strong leadership from government to get clear direction.”

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has rebuked calls from some Liberal-National colleagues in Canberra to abandon net-zero emissions targets, saying he is focused on a balanced approach that can bolster the state’s agricultural industries while supporting the expansion of renewable energy.

Crisafulli refused to walk away from net-zero targets while speaking to the ABC this morning, amid fierce debate from both sides of the federal Coalition regarding their commitment to emission goals.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli.Credit: AAPIMAGE

“The markets are demanding we do things to a standard when it comes to emissions as well as protection. We are on a journey to deliver that,” Crisafulli said.

“We are looking at storage options to make sure we bring renewable energy into the grid. That is part of an affordable energy mix.”

Crisafulli’s comments come one day after his government added more than 700 hectares to Queensland’s national parks and nature refuges, as part of efforts to protect the state’s endangered species, ecosystems, biodiversity and threatened flora.

Big business wants artificial intelligence to handle more “boring but essential” jobs as part of a race to establish Australia as a global leader in the technology and avoid decades of playing catch-up.

AI is a significant opportunity to boost living standards and the nation’s “next big lever for economic growth” according to Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black.

“If we get this right, AI can deliver a significant productivity boost and that means higher real wages and more opportunities for more Australians.

BCA chief executive Bran Black said Australia can be a venue for clean energy-powered data centres.Credit: Louise Kennerley

“The choices we make now will determine whether we gain a competitive edge or fall behind.”

The council released a report this morning aiming to accelerate Australia’s AI agenda, with a plan to boost innovation and address stagnating productivity.

It recommends “clear, practical and risk-based” regulations be developed, as well as the establishment of new research centres and partnerships and a simplified approval process for data centres to speed infrastructure development.

Specialist training for data scientists and engineers needs expanding and workers need education for how to use the technology to improve “the day-to-day work experience”, with courses a part of primary, secondary and tertiary curricula.

“Even if we apply AI to just the ‘boring but essential’ parts of our economy - like payroll processing or document analysis - the dividends to consumers and businesses could be significant,” Black said.

AAP

This photograph from the Brisbane City Council archives shows the view from Mt Coot-tha in 1950, looking towards the city:

The view from Mt Coot-tha, looking towards the city centre in 1950.Credit: Brisbane City Council archives