BENJAMIN, Stuart

Stuart Benjamin’s life experience has been in the representation of regional Australia, with a core drive to advocate for the needs of the people and businesses.  The ability to have a voice in issues that impact upon them is his driving motivation. He graduated from the University of Ballarat with a Certificate IV in Building & Construction and since then completed a Bachelor of Commerce, specialising in new venture innovation.

Stuart has four children and runs a business group operating across Victoria and NSW.   Stuart has been Director of the Elmstone Property Group since January 2005, which is an award winning business with proven experience in the development of integrated housing, with a speciality in the supported accommodation space.

Stuart has been an active contributor and leader across multiple industries and community sectors for over 30 years, and for the last decade he has dedicated 50% of his time to his volunteer and not for profit contributions for the community.  His community service to the region began with the recovery of the Begonia Festival, which was in financial distress and facing extinction. As a board member, the festival was refocused as one of the preeminent events in Victoria and continues to flourish today.

Stuart’s love of the small business sector would ultimately see him appointed as the Chair of the Victorian Small Business Ministerial Council.  His appointment was made only 2 weeks before the COVID crisis kicked off in Victoria with huge impacts on all businesses.  He was one of the architects of the Small Business COVID Hardship Fund, the Business Costs Assistance Program and Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund.  These interventions are credited with saving 10’s of thousands of small businesses in Victoria.

As part of his interest in technology, Stuart joined the Board of the Australian domain regulator Auda in a period of incredible upheaval for the industry and the organisation. Ultimately, he was appointed as the Chair of AUDA and led the organisation through a period of change and put it on a path to the development of the .AU national product.

Stuart helped owners and employees with the firm mental health assistance program. He advocated regional concerns. He has participated in many overseas trade missions and recently visited the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham alongside Federation University and other Victorian Vice Chancellors to examine higher education opportunities.

His interest in cutting-edge engineering is further supported as the founding Chair of GNET, the Grampians New Energy taskforce – tasked with accelerating the transition of the region to zero carbon. wrote the Victoria state plan's Roadmap to Zero. The roadmap also developed Renewable Energy Zones, the basis on which Victoria will now transition to renewable energy and helped fast-track $20 billion in projects.

He is a committee member of the Central Highlands Regional Partnership and Wimmera Southern Mallee Regional Partnership, groups designed to influence social policy development.  And in his spare time, he is a volunteer driving instructor with the L2P program, assisting kids from low socio-economic backgrounds to achieve their hours while being mentored in other life skills.

For a couple of decades Stuart has sponsored an Engineering award in memory of Heather Pitman, one of our Distinguished Alumni.  The award focusses on cutting-edge research in the Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability.