Commander The Honourable Shane L Stone AC PGDK QC RAN(rtd)

Shane Stone is the Co-ordinator General of the National Recovery & Resilience Agency (NRRA) established by the Morrison Government in the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet in response to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. The new Agency was launched by Prime Minister Morrison in Townsville on 5 May 2021. The Agency incorporates the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Recovery & Response Agency (NDNQFRRA), the National Bushfire Recovery Agency (NBRA), certain responsibilities of Emergency Management Australia (EMA) including natural disaster risk reduction, preparedness functions, as well as management of specific disaster recovery programs, (formerly Department of Home Affairs) and the Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) (formerly Department of Agriculture, Environment & Water). NRRA supersedes Shane Stone’s former roles as Co-ordinator General NDNQFRRA and Chairman & CEO of the North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency (NQLIRA) following the devastating monsoon and floods in January 2019. Further on 30 March 2021 Shane Stone was also appointed to the Commonwealth Senior Advisory Group by the Morrison Government to examine the joint management arrangements of the Commonwealth’s three jointly managed national parks - Booderee, Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta (Ayres Rock). The role of the Senior Advisory Group is to recommend improvements to joint management arrangements and provide a clear and co-designed pathway to transition to Traditional Owners having more responsibility and control over the management of their land. Shane Stone is also Chairman of the Order of Australia Council, the penultimate authority that recommends to the Governor-General Australia’s civil honours list. Shane’s schooling included primary, St Patrick’s Christian Brothers College Albury, junior secondary St John's De La Salle College Dandenong and senior secondary Wodonga High School. Shane trained as a primary school teacher in Victoria before studying law. He is an alumnus of the Australian National University, Melbourne Law School, Adelaide and Sturt Universities and a former Visiting Fellow at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law Cambridge University. He holds undergraduate degrees in Arts and Law, Diploma of Financial Planning, Diploma of Teaching and a graduate qualification in educational administration. He is a former deputy head of International House, University of Melbourne and resident tutor John XXIII College ANU. Post his Parliamentary career Shane’s commercial engagements comprised an annual turnover (public and private entities the UK and Australia), exceeding $USD3.5 billion; roles included Deputy Chairman of UK listed Impellam Group (one of the world’s largest providers of Managed Services and Specialist Staffing), also subsidiary Medacs Healthcare plc UK and Australia (staffing agency for the NHS UK and Australia Pacific public and private hospitals). He was Chairman of the Mayfair Group in Australia (construction and financial services); former Chairman of the QLD State power utility Energex Limited, a Director of Thiess, one of Australia’s largest construction and mine contracting firms among a number of commercial entities. Shane Stone was also part of the Australian team that negotiated the historic North West Shelf LNG sale to China in 2001 estimated at $USD25 billion. This was the first time the PRC included LNG in their energy profile. Before his election to Parliament, Shane Stone practised as a barrister in Victoria and NSW, Legal Practitioner (NT), and admitted barrister Tasmania. As First Law Officer, Attorney General NT on application to the Administrator the Honourable Dr Neil Conn AO GCStJ Shane Stone received a Commission as Queens Counsel in 1997. Shane Stones philanthropic work has included National Chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh Award in Australia, President of the Order of Australia Association (conferred Life Member), National Chairman of the Defence Reserve Support Council, a Director of the Australian Children’s Television Foundation and National Patron of the Dragon Boat Federation. Throughout Shane’s working life as a barrister, Member of Parliament and businessman he served in the Australian Navy Reserve where he gained his commission as a Seaman Executive Officer. He retired in 2016 following combined service in the Army and Navy Reserves (subsequently extended Privileges of Service by Chief of Navy to use the honorary title of CMDR RAN(Rtd)). He is the recipient of the Reserve Force Medal and the Australian Defence Medal. He was conferred by the Duke of Edinburgh Award of Australia the Gold Distinguished Service Medal; presented by HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation. He was the Inaugural Chairman of the Centre for Military & Security Law at the Australian National University Law School. On a professional level Shane Stone is a Life Member and Fellow of the Australian College of Educators; a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, also the Australian Institute of Management and of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia. He was made an Honorary Life Member of LAWASIA in 1996 in recognition of his active support for the ‘rule of law’ in Asia and the Pacific. Shane Stone served as President of the NT Country Liberal Party (1986 – 1989; 2016 - 2017), Federal President of the Liberal Party of Australia during the Howard Government (1999 – 2005). He was Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (1995 – 1999), and held various senior Cabinet posts dating from 1990. He is a Life Member of the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party and a Financial Life Member and Honorary Life Member of the NT Country Liberal Party. Shane Stone has undertaken various tasks for successive Governments including Chairing the Northern Australia Advisory Group informing and advising the Commonwealth White Paper on Developing Northern Australia: 'Our North, Our Future: White Paper on Developing Northern Australia'. At various times Shane Stone has been acknowledged as an informed commentator on ASEAN, China and Indonesia. His speaking engagements have always been pro bono. Shane Stone was conferred a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list June 2006; awarded for eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Australia or humanity at large it is the most senior civilian award conferred in Australia. Citation read: For service to politics contributing to strengthening Federal-State-Territory intergovernmental processes, to furthering the bilateral relationship between Australia and the Asia Pacific region, and to the oil and gas industry. Shane Stone has been conferred Awards from Indonesia (Star of the Republic), and Malaysia (Commander of the Order of Kinabalu Sabah). He holds Awards from the Crown Council of Ethiopia. A number of ethnic communities in the NT accorded Shane Stone Life Membership in recognition of his support over many years – Greek Orthodox Community of the NT, Kalymnian Brotherhood (also conferred Honorary Citizen of Kalymnos, Greece), Cypriot Community of the NT (ALKI award presented by the Justice for Cyprus Co-ordinating Committee 'For Outstanding Service to the cause of Justice and the Cypriot Community of the NT') and Filipino Centennial Award presented for his support for the Filipino Australian Association of the Northern Territory. He was presented the keys of the City of Davao Mindanao Philippines by Mayor Rodrigo R Duterte (subsequently elected President of the Philippines). He is a former Patron of the Italian Club in Darwin. Shane Stone is a 6th generation Australian, a direct descendant of a First Fleet convict who disembarked the Prince of Wales Sydney Cove in 1788. To download a copy of this resume www.stonefamilyinaustralia.com.au/shane_stone/archive_items/7171