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Queensland is back in the black after taking a bigger cut on coal exports but wants compensation before it agrees to cap domestic prices.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is reportedly considering demanding Queensland and NSW impose their own price caps on coal to ease pressure on household and business power bills.

That comes as Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick revealed on Wednesday that windfall royalty charges on coal producers will help keep the state's budget in the black for three of the next four years.

He's forecast a surplus of almost $5.2 billion in 2022/23 in his mid-year budget update, against a $1 billion deficit predicted six months ago.

That's on the back of almost $10.7 billion in coal royalty payments flowing into state coffers; more than double the amount predicted in June when windfall royalty rates were introduced.

Royalties, along with higher payroll tax and GST returns, will keep the balance sheets in the black over the forward estimates, except for a $458 million deficit in 2023/24.

The treasurer says a coal price cap won't hit the royalty income from exporters but he's wary about its impact on profitable public-owned electricity generators.

"We need to have a look at the final proposal and the detail from the federal government before we can form a view about what that actually looks like when it comes to compensation or support for Queensland if we are to do something that impacts, in a financial sense, on our state," Mr Dick told a lunch event in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Mr Dick expects to take $21.5 billion in coal royalties over the next four years but admits Treasury's forecasts are conservative.

The Queensland Resources Council, a coal mining lobby group, has launched an advertising campaign warning that higher royalty payments will deter investment.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane claimed that due to the policy, "in 10 to 20 years time, there will be no jobs in coal mining".

"They are taking so much that they are killing the golden goose," he said.

"The resources industry in Queensland underpins the Queensland economy yet it is being absolutely trashed by the Queensland government."

The treasurer is unapologetic about taking a bigger cut from coal producers, saying it will be partly used to fund decarbonisation plans, critical minerals mining and regional infrastructure.

"Coal royalties are worth fighting for; Queenslanders deserve their fair share and they will receive it," Mr Dick said.

"The windfall profits made by coal companies are also a win for the people who own these mineral resources, the people of Queensland."

While coal prices are expected to fall from the second half of 2023, the windfall rates will take total income from coal to almost $21.55 billion over the next four years.

The net debt forecast has been slashed by $400 million to $110.7 billion for 2022/23 and is expected to peak around $700 million lower at $129.3 billion in four years' time.

Queensland's economic growth is forecast to be around 2.5 per cent until 2023/24.

The state's four per cent unemployment rate is expected to rise marginally to 4.25 per cent and the current 5.75 per cent inflation rate is expected to fall to 2.75 per cent by 2023/24.

© AAP 2022

Rideshare company Uber will pay a $21 million fine after admitting it overestimated fees for services and advertised a possible cancellation fee that it never charged.

The fine is $5 million less than the one proposed by Uber and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which took the rideshare giant to the Federal Court over misleading and deceptive practices.

The suggested $26 million penalty "greatly exceeds any amount I consider to be appropriate", Justice Michael O'Bryan said in handing down his thoughts on the case on Wednesday.

Longstanding tradition is that the penalty is agreed by the parties and approved by judges, provided they're satisfied it's appropriate.

But he said the evidence he had been given to back up the proposed fines was grossly inadequate.

"It left the court in the position of speculating whether any harm was suffered (by consumers) and if so, whether it was significant or trivial," he said.

Uber admitted misleading or deceiving customers in two instances.

The first related to Uber Taxi, a service offered only in Sydney where customers could arrange a rideshare service with registered taxi providers.

Uber admitted that between June 2018 and August 2020 it represented to customers that rides would fall within a displayed fare range, when the actual cost was lower than the lowest estimate.

"It is important to estimate that Uber overestimated the fare at the time of booking and the consumer ultimately paid a lower fare," the judge found.

"The fare estimate was an overestimate approximately 89 per cent of the time."

He reduced a proposed $6 million penalty for that contravention to $3 million.

Between December 2017 and September 2021 the company also mislead customers who opted to cancel trips during a period of free cancellation by telling them that they may be charged a small cancellation fee, when no fee was ever charged.

Customers using Uber X, Uber Comfort and Uber Premier received the cancellation fee notice nearly 7.4 million times over that period, while Uber Pool customers received it nearly 75,000 times.

In each case, only about 0.4 per cent of customers chose not to go ahead with cancellation.

Justice O'Byran agreed the $18 million penalty proposed for that contravention was within the range available to him.

In addition Uber will pay $200,000 toward the ACCC's cost of prosecuting the case, and must publish corrections and implement a compliance program in respect of the Australian Consumer Law.

The company has 30 days to pay the penalties.

Uber admitted some employees were aware of both issues at the time. In a statement the company said it had taken proactive steps based on the concerns raised in the ACCC proceedings, including discontinuing its Uber Taxi option in 2020.

ACCC chairwoman Gina Cass-Gottlieb said consumers rely on apps for accuracy because they cannot independently check or monitor the information themselves.

The penalty was a sign to businesses that misleading consumers was a serious matter, she said.

© AAP 2022

Morocco have become the first Arab nation to reach the last eight of the World Cup finals.

The north African country defeated Spain on penalties after a goalless draw in Doha on Tuesday and will meet Portugal in the quarter-finals after they won the all-European clash with Switzerland 6-1.

It was the third successive major tournament in which Spain have been beaten on penalties following the 2018 World Cup and the Euros in 2021. They failed to score in three attempts.

Morocco scored three of four, with the winning kick converted by Achraf Hakimi, who was born in the Spanish capital Madrid.

That followed two spot-kick saves by goalkeeper Bono, who plays for La Liga club Sevilla.

"We were unable to score ... so no matter how much we say that we deserved to win... it is not going to change anything," Spanish keeper Unai Simon, who saved one penalty, said.

"The only thing left for us is to accept that we have been eliminated."

The Atlas Lions are the first African team into the quarters since Ghana in 2010, with only Cameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002) having done so previously.

"We fought and made the Moroccan people happy, we made history and Morocco deserve it, Moroccan people made us united on the pitch," coach Walid Regragui said.

Morocco were not just the last Arab or African team left, they were the only nation from outside the customary European-South American axis that has dominated the World Cup throughout it's 92-year history.

Against them were Spain, the 2010 winners, and European Championships semi-finalists. But Morocco, though in the last 16 for the first time since 1986, were not wide-eyed naifs.

All the starting XI play for European clubs, including giants such as Paris Saint-Germain (Hakimi), Chelsea (Hakim Ziyech) and Bayern Munich (Noussair Mazraoui).

That the two nations are separated only by the 13km-wide Strait of Gibraltar, and have often been intertwined, added spice.

Morocco were heavily supported and not just by their own nationals. Inside the ground their dogged and disciplined defending was cheered on and Spain's passing carousel whistled at incessantly.

Outside the ground, following ticketless fans attempting to force access to previous Morocco games, there was heavy security, with rows of riot police on foot, with dogs, and on horseback.

Those that made it inside the Education City Stadium saw Spain dominate possession without bringing a save from Bono in the opening half.

Indeed the only save was made at the other end, Simon gathering Mazraoui's 32nd-minute 30-yard drive. That was followed ten minutes later by the best chance of the period, Nayef Aguerd heading over.

Spain finally had a shot on target from Dani Olmo after 55 minutes, but it was from too tight an angle to worry Bono.

Forty minutes later Olmo had the game's next shot on target, a free-kick that went through a crowd of players deep in added time before being palmed away by Bono.

Spain had scored in their previous 24 matches, dating back to June 2021, but the 90 minutes finished goalless and extra time ensued.

Walid Cheddira should have scored, but was denied by Simon, and Pablo Sarabia, a 119th-minute sub, struck the post from a tight angle.

A few minutes later Sarabia struck the other post, Spain's first penalty failure. Bono then saved from Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets before Hakimi put Morocco through.

"We completely dominated the match, it's a shame it went that way," Spain manager Luis Enrique said.

© AAP 2022