Western Australian-based Member John Catlin has resigned from the National Native Title Tribunal after more than six years with the organisation.

Mr Catlin became a full-time member in October 2003 and his last day at the Tribunal will be 7 May. After that he will move to State Government, to become the Strategy and Policy executive director in the WA Department of the Premier and Cabinet. 

Member John Catlin will leave the Tribunal in May.

Most of Mr Catlin’s work has been in WA, alongside Member Daniel O’Dea, and he has been instrumental in significant Tribunal developments in WA, some of which have been used across the country.

As co-regional member in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions, Mr Catlin conceived the ‘booklet-style’ regional reporting format now used across the country to report to the Federal Court.

Mr Catlin is a nationally-accredited mediator and holds a Masters Degree from La Trobe University.

In 2008 he received a Rotary scholarship and spent three months in Thailand completing a Masters in Conflict Resolution.

Mr Catlin used his mediation skills to progress agreement-making in claimant applications and future act matters in WA.

He was involved in the Pilbara Connection Project applications; the Alternative Settlement Area, which consist of seven overlapping claims in the Geraldton region; and the Nyangumarta consent determination.

As presiding member on the alternative settlement process for WA's south-west, Mr Catlin worked to support parties who had agreed to enter into substantive negotiation towards alternative settlement.