Labor government dumps controversial disaster relief boss Shane Stone

Labor has followed through on plans to dump Australia’s disaster relief boss after his controversial comments about flood victims.

Australia’s disaster relief boss has been dumped from his position months after he stirred controversy with his comments about flood victims.

Shane Stone has been removed as the co-ordinator of natural disaster recovery under a shake-up unveiled by Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt on Friday.

The National Resilience and Recovery Agency has been moved to sit within the Home Affairs portfolio, with Mr Stone to take leave immediately before his role of co-ordinator-general is abolished.

“I would like to thank Mr Stone for his service, in establishing and leading the NRRA since its inception,” Senator Watt said.

Mr Stone, a former Northern Territory leader and Liberal Party president, was appointed by former prime minister Scott Morrison to lead the NRRA.

Former NRRA co-ordinator Shane Stone will take leave immediately before his position is abolished. Picture: Evan Morgan

Senator Watt had before the federal election called for Mr Stone to resign for saying people who chose to “live among the gum trees” in flood-prone areas shouldn’t blame the government for losing their homes to flooding.

Mr Stone said in early March that councils needed to end their “poor planning decisions”, following the extraordinary flooding disaster that devastated parts of NSW and Queensland.

His comments sparked a fierce backlash from the-then Labor opposition.

Mr Stone stared down the criticism by saying his comments were realistic rather than flippant. He claimed Senator Watt had been “trying to get me sacked for a while”.

Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt had called for Mr Stone to resign while he was in opposition. Picture: Evan Morgan

Senator Watt said on Friday the NRRA and Emergency Management Australia would be merged to form a new organisation, called the National Emergency Management, Resilience and Recovery Agency.

The new organisation is due to come into operation on September 1.

“Combining all these disaster-related functions into one agency under the Home Affairs Portfolio is a significant step forward and strengthens Australia’s ability to prepare for, manage and recover from an increasing number and severity of disasters,” Senator Watt said.

“Due to the effects of climate change, Australia will face more major natural disasters in the future, and we have to prepare and adapt now to ensure that as a nation we’re in the best position to deal with that inevitability.”

Originally published as Labor government dumps controversial disaster relief boss Shane Stone