Federal Labor call for Shane Stone to resign from NRRA
Despite local mayors praising his flood recovery efforts, Labor MP Luke Gosling has provided some advice for disaster resilience boss Shane Stone.
Northern Territory
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SOLOMON Labor MP Luke Gosling has stuck to the party line and urged former chief minister Shane Stone to “find another job” if he can’t do his job with compassion.
Mr Stone, who is the coordinator of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, was slammed by federal Labor after he suggested flooded homes in northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland shouldn’t be rebuilt in the same spot.
However, the mayors of Lismore and Ballina have backed Mr Stone’s efforts in recent days.
In response to questions from the NT News, Mr Gosling said flood-ravaged communities “needed to know that authorities have compassion for what they’ve been through”.
“The head of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency must be able to do that, and to act in a bipartisan way to offer disaster-struck Australians relief and support on a needs basis,” Mr Gosling said.
“If Shane Stone hasn’t done that, he should find another job.”
‘Politicking’: Flood-ravaged town mayors back disaster recovery boss
THE mayors of Ballina and Lismore have defended former NT chief minister Shane Stone’s performance at the head of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, labelling calls for his resignation as “politicking”.
Federal Labor renewed calls for Mr Stone’s resignation on Tuesday after comments he made earlier this year that homes on floodplains should not be rebuilt.
While Ballina mayor Sharon Cadwallader disagreed with the former chief minister and said she believed decisions to rebuild homes in flood-prone areas should be a decision for the community, she said Mr Stone had been vital in helping the region’s recovery following flooding earlier this year.
“He has come into our region with care, compassion and interest in finding solutions to what have been long-standing problems,” she said.
“It’s not just ‘let’s get you back up and running’.”
Ms Cadwallader said Mr Stone had helped secure funding for the flood recovery.
“Shane has facilitated the funding of $150m,” she said.
Labor senator Murray Watt on Tuesday said Mr Stone “should have (resigned) by now”.
Ms Cadwallader said the criticism of Mr Stone was “politicking”.
Lismore mayor Steve Krieg said he didn’t agree with Labor’s assessment, saying he hoped Mr Stone would stay on regardless of who won the federal election next month.
“What we need as a region is we need a bit of consistency and stability in the rebuild, and we don’t need politicians chopping and changing these organisations because it doesn’t meet their political opinions or views,” Mr Krieg said.
“He’s doing a good job, no doubt about it. He’s promised to rebuild our city,” he said.
“All the people of Lismore want is a proper rebuild and flood mitigation.”
Federal Labor call for Shane Stone to resign from NRRA
A FORMER Northern Territory chief minister would be axed from his role leading the National Recovery and Resilience Agency if Labor were to win the federal election.
On Tuesday, Labor senator Murray Watt said Shane Stone “should have (resigned) by now” over comments he made about flooding in northern New South Wales. Mr Stone was chief minister between 1995 and 1999.
Mr Stone faced criticism from Labor in March this year after saying flooded homes should not be rebuilt in areas.
He said homes had been built on flood plains, which were “poor planning decisions” made by local governments.
Mr Watts, who is Labor’s disaster and emergency management spokesman, on Tuesday described the comments as “disgraceful”.
“We have called on Shane to resign,” he said.
“And he should have done that by now because of the disgraceful comments he made, blaming victims of floods for the circumstances they found themselves in when his own Government has a fund that has now reached $4.8m because they haven’t built a single disaster mitigation project.”
Mr Stone has been contacted for comment.
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