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Witnesses have told an inquest of Hannah Clarke's chilling screams, pleas to save her children and her efforts to fight her estranged husband after he poured fuel in her car and lit it.

Ms Clarke and her three children were doused in petrol and burned alive by Rowan Baxter in Brisbane on February 19, 2020.

She and children Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three, had just left her parents' Camp Hill home about 8.30am when Baxter climbed into the passenger seat of her car armed with a knife and can of petrol.

Ms Clarke told witnesses before she died that Baxter instructed her to drive, but she stopped outside a house where physiotherapist Michael Zemek was washing his car, the inquest sitting in Brisbane heard on Monday.

Mr Zemek said he first heard an hysterical scream, before Ms Clarke yelled: "Call the police, call the police. He's trying to kill me. He's put petrol on me."

He couldn't see or hear children, but Baxter was holding Ms Clarke in a bear hug with both arms around her, as if trying to keep her in the car, Mr Zemek said.

Baxter didn't appear aggressive, but had a "constraining hold" of Ms Clark, with a resigned look like he would not let her get away.

"As I approached the (car) window it just went bang," Mr Zemek said.

He used a hose to pour water on Ms Clarke once she was out the car, telling her to roll on grass to extinguish the flames.

Mr Zemek said Ms Clarke was "amazingly strong for what she went through".

Samantha Covey stopped her vehicle when she saw smoke and hosed down Ms Clarke, who had severe burns everywhere except on her feet, trying to keep her calm and conscious.

The first words the injured woman said was, "My kids, someone get my kids," Ms Covey told the inquest.

Ms Clarke said she couldn't believe Baxter had "done this".

"I've got a damn DVO," she told Ms Covey.

Ms Clarke said Baxter had dropped a lighter after she stopped the car, that she tried to fight him, even ripping his shirt.

"I couldn't stop him."

Kerry Fernandez, who lived nearby spoke of hearing a chilling, "panicked mother scream" like nothing she had heard before.

While on the phone to emergency services she saw Ms Clarke's car come to a standstill before bursting into flames.

While Ms Fernandez used a fire extinguisher against the blaze that engulfed the car, Baxter, who was badly burnt, jumped in front of her, diving into the car.

It was only later witnesses realised he had emerged with a knife.

Ms Fernandez said she felt intimidated as it seemed the muscled man with a "deadpan" look was trying to stop her putting out the fire.

He was "growling or something" with no words coming out.

"I felt like he was almost guarding the car," Ms Fernandez said.

Baxter killed himself with the knife, while Ms Clarke died in hospital that afternoon.

The inquest set down for two weeks before coroner Jane Bentley is expected to hear from emergency responders, friends of both Ms Clarke and Baxter and domestic violence services.

Ms Clarke's father Lloyd said outside court he hoped the inquest would determine how the system let his daughter and grandchildren down.

"(So) they can put new procedures in place ... so people won't have to go through this terrible thing," he said.

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St George Illawarra prop George Burgess is being investigated by police over an incident of alleged sexual touching just weeks before his NRL return.

NSW Police informed the NRL on Monday they were investigating the premiership-winning forward, after receiving a complaint from a woman.

The NRL then passed that information onto the Dragons, who were caught off-guard by the news with Burgess having just spoken to media in a pre-scheduled interview in Wollongong.

Burgess is now due to speak with police over the matter, which is alleged to have happened just two days out from the start of the NRL season.

"Earlier this month officers attached to South Sydney Police Area Command commenced an investigation into reports a woman was sexually touched by a man known to her on Tuesday 8th March," NSW Police said in a statement.

"Those inquiries are continuing."

The Dragons have also confirmed they are working with the integrity unit over a matter involving one of their players.

"The St George Illawarra Dragons have been made aware of a matter involving one of its players by the NRL integrity unit," the Dragons said in a statement.

"The Dragons are working closely with all parties as the matter is under police investigation."

Burgess, 29, had only just made his return to the NRL at the Dragons after 18 months out of the game.

After eight seasons at South Sydney alongside his brothers Sam, Tom and Luke, Burgess left to for the English Super League on a three-year deal at the start of 2020.

But the England international returned to Australia after eight matches, struck down by a hip injury which required surgery.

He was then signed by the Dragons on a two-year deal to start this year, making his return off the bench in last Friday night's loss to Penrith.

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Petrol prices galloped to fresh record highs in the past week as global oil prices remained propped up by the war in Ukraine.

The Australian Institute of Petroleum said the national weekly average for petrol prices jumped by 14.9 cents in the past week to a record 212.5 cents a litre, after ranging from 210.4 cents to 214 cents.

As if households aren't facing enough pressure at the petrol bowser, economists expect prices could go even higher with crude oil prices remaining elevated and back above $US100 a barrel.

The federal government has promised to provide some support for households in next week's budget in the face of escalating cost of living pressures.

There has been speculation the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg may temporarily reduce fuel excise from 44 cents a litre.

But Deloitte Access Economics economist Chris Richardson warned such supports could further fuel inflation and bring forward the timing of an expected interest rate rise by the Reserve Bank of Australia this year.

He said it is also difficult to remove such assistance once in place.

"These bandaids go on fast but come off slow," he says.

Meanwhile, a new survey showed Australia's small business sector achieved the weakest rate of growth in the Asia Pacific region in 2021.

The CPA Australia Asia Pacific survey found more Australian small businesses shrank in 2021 than grew.

Only 32.2 per cent of Australian respondents said their business grew last year, compared to a survey average of 47.3 per cent, while 35.5 per cent reported that they shrank.

Not only did Australian small businesses record the lowest rate of revenue growth at 33.7 per cent - compared to a survey average 50.2 per cent. Only 7.1 per cent increased employee numbers, versus a survey average of 28.7 per cent.

The survey took in small businesses from Indonesia, the Philippines and India, which led the region by growth.

CPA Australia senior manager business policy Gavan Ord said the survey shows when it comes to Australian small businesses, technology is their weak link, and should be a wake-up call ahead of the federal election due in May.

"Small businesses are incredibly important to Australia's economy," he said.

"Whichever party forms government, we want them to ensure Australia's Digital Economy Strategy reflects the importance of small business and supports them to succeed in the digital economy."

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Former NSW Police commissioner Mick Fuller and NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer Mary O'Kane will head an inquiry into the state's flood crisis.

Acting Premier Paul Toole announced the independent inquiry to investigate the causes of, preparedness for, response to and recovery from, the catastrophic flood event.

There has been widespread criticism of the handling of the crisis after people were left stranded on roofs in Lismore in the state's northeast, which was inundated with a record 14.37m flood on February 28.

Many people ended up being rescued by fellow residents on private watercraft, nine people died, thousands lost their homes and many were uninsured because of the high cost of premiums.

The inquiry will report on the causes of, and factors contributing to, the frequency, intensity, timing and location of floods as well as the preparation and planning by agencies and the community for floods.

It will scrutinise the emergency response, particularly measures to protect life, property and the environment.

The inquiry will also probe the transition from incident response to recovery, including housing, clean-up, financial support, community engagement and longer term community rebuilding.

The inquiry could make recommendations on the safety of emergency services and community emergency responders, as well as on future land use planning and management, and building standards in flood prone areas.

It will recommend actions to adapt to future flood risks for communities, as well as co-ordination and collaboration between all levels of government.

Mr Toole said the review would ensure NSW could quickly get on with improving its preparation for, and response to flood risks.

"No two floods are the same and there is no formulaic response, but when it comes to natural disasters we can never be too prepared."

The inquiry will report to Premier Dominic Perrottet on flood causes, land use planning and management by June 30 and on all other matters by September 30.

Opposition leader Chris Minns welcomed the inquiry saying the federal and state government were "pointing the fingers at each other".

"The simple fact is, no one did enough," he said.

"There were too many cooks boiling the broth.

"It didn't look like there was a single line of authority to take control of the situation, communicate with the public what their responsibilities were, and also be accountable when things go wrong."

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