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Former rugby league player and teacher Christopher Dawson used to feel like god, before everyone found out he murdered his wife to take off with his student.

He referred to himself as "god" in letters he wrote grooming the teenager he had an unlawful sexual relationship with in the 1980s.

The 75-year-old appeared anything but god-like in the NSW District Court more than 40 years later, requiring frequent breaks in his old age and sometimes struggling to follow the proceedings as he faced trial earlier this year, having already been found guilty of murder in 2022.

He swore repeatedly after Judge Sarah Huggett found him guilty of carnal knowledge as a teacher of a girl over 10 and under 17 in June, a verdict he plans to appeal.

Dawson faces sentencing on Friday for the historical charge, replaced in 1986.

It is unlikely to affect how long the 75-year-old spends in jail.

He received a 24-year sentence for murdering Lynette Dawson, whose body has not been found after her disappearance in 1982, and laws preventing his parole before it is mean he is expected to never be released.

A student in Dawson's year 11 sports coaching class, known during the trial by the pseudonym AB, said she became engaged in sexual activity with him between July and the end of the school year on December 12, 1980.

He pleaded not guilty, but it was not disputed the pair had a sexual relationship, with Dawson's public defender contending it began when she was no longer in his class.

AB said they first engaged in sexual activity at the Maroubra home of Dawson's parents while they were out of town.

Former students at the Sydney northern beaches school described seeing her sitting in Dawson's lap and him standing between her legs on school grounds and in his office.

AB's colleague at a supermarket recalled a threatening Dawson demanding he stay away from her, the judge finding he perceived the teenager a rival.

Dawson's Friday night appearances at a pub where students drank underage were not providing support and counsel for AB's domestic issues, as claimed.

The judge found he went to the pub and told self-aggrandising stories to endear himself.

"Behaviour consistent with a person who on occasion, referred to himself as god," the judge said.

© AAP 2023

Koalas are under increasing pressure as southeast Queensland grapples with a housing crisis and predicted population explosion of 2.2 million people.

The Queensland Conservation Council (QCC) warns the predicted population boom increases the risk of koala extinction, with the species under intense threat from urban sprawl and greenfield development.

The council analysed the Palaszczuk government's regional housing plan, released in August, saying it allowed for only the "bare minimum" of koala habitat protection.

The blueprint unlocked housing supply to allow the construction of 900,000 homes by 2046.

However, the council fears almost six per cent of bushland will be lost to make way for 2.2 million extra residents expected to call the region home.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said Queensland must plan for the population boom.

"More housing is needed than ever before, and we need a plan that ensures homes are delivered when and where they need to be, while also protecting Queensland's great lifestyle," Mr Miles said.

"This plan doesn't mean growth everywhere - it plans for growth in the suburbs that can cater for growth."

However, the council has spent weeks analysing the blueprint and says it ramps up pressure on the region's threatened koala population.

"Southeast Queensland is an ecological treasure trove of rainforests, bushland and internationally listed wetlands and iconic species like the koala," director Dave Copeman said.

"All of that is at risk, with the new ShapingSEQ regional plan opening up more bushland and native habitat to urban sprawl and development."

If the region's animals and plants are to have any hope not only to survive but to thrive, at least 40 per cent of the area needs to be covered by native bushland and natural ecosystems, the council said.

"Southeast Queensland sits at 35 per cent bushland cover," Mr Copeman said.

"This plan earmarks a further six per cent of southeast Queensland bushland for new housing, putting the region at risk of falling below the globally recognised minimum of 30 per cent bushland cover."

He said natural disasters and ongoing development threatened the koala habitat.

"Rather than nurturing critical koala habitat, the ShapingSEQ plan could be another series of attacks, putting the species at further risk of extinction,'' Mr Copeman said.

"We can't afford to lose a single hectare if we want to save the species."

A spokesperson for the deputy premier said the conservation council was consulted and supported the plan's release.

The plan took into account critical koala habitats and was focused on increasing housing density in areas that could accommodate it.

"We know we can't rely on traditional models and greenfield development, because it has negative impacts on the environment and we know already developed areas are largely where Queenslanders want to live," the spokesperson said.

The council said the government was moving in the right direction but must do more to ensure koala habitat protection.

© AAP 2023

Businesses are still hiring but the prevalence of part-time recruits points to a short-term boost from the Women's World Cup or wary employers' shying away from full-timers.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows about 65,000 people found work in August, well above the 25,000 lift expected by economists.

The jobless rate held steady at 3.7 per cent for the second consecutive month, marking the 18th month in a row of an unemployment rate below four per cent.

The participation rate, which measures the number of Australians either in a job or looking for one, ticked up to 67 per cent.

ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis said together with the 64.5 per cent employment to population ratio, the record participation rate reflected a tight jobs market.

He also said the 65,000 increase in employment in the month came after a small drop in July, which coincided with school holidays.

"Looking over the past two months, the average employment growth was around 32,000 people per month, which is similar to the average growth over the past year," he said.

The bulk of the August employment growth was in part-time roles, which grew by 62,100 compared to 2800 full-time jobs.

CommSec economists Craig James and Ryan Felsman said Australia's co-hosting of the FIFA Women's World Cup may have contributed to the strong growth in part-time jobs.

"Employers may also be bracing for an economic slowdown, preferring to hire part-time rather than full-time workers," they said.

Monthly hours were down 0.5 per cent in August, but continued to grow faster than the increase in employment.

Mr Jarvis said this pointed to a large amount of work that needed doing and people continuing to work more hours in response.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said more Australians were in work than ever before and the participation rate was at a record high.

"This is a tremendous result and a testament to the resilience of the Australian economy and the Australian people," Dr Chalmers said.

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said the strong labour market numbers were masking the pain of hardworking Australians.

"Australians are working more hours and taking on additional jobs to pay the bills in Labor's cost-of-living crisis," Mr Taylor said.

While starting to slacken, Australia's jobs market is yet to materially weaken in response to the Reserve Bank's aggressive string of interest rates targeted at high inflation.

Higher interest rate hikes are aimed at slowing the economy by making it more expensive for businesses and consumers to spend, bringing inflation down while also weighing on firms' hiring decisions.

Oxford Economics Australia head of macroeconomic forecasting Sean Langcake said the data set neither confirmed nor denied whether the labour market was starting to respond to monetary tightening.

"Firms are still adding to headcount, and with job vacancies still elevated, employment growth will likely hold steady in the coming months," Mr Langcake said.

He said the data would not move the needle for the RBA, which has kept interest rates on hold for three months in a row.

The group is not expecting more interest rate hikes in the current cycle.

© AAP 2023