Tribunal Registrar wins Australia Day honour

National Native Title Tribunal Registrar Chris Doepel has been awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) as part of this year's Australia Day Honours list.

The award is for outstanding public service in the development and implementation of legislation and policy relating to native title.

Mr Doepel became Registrar of the Tribunal in 1998. He heads the corporate management of the organisation, and as a lawyer, performs statutory functions in order to successfully register native title applications and indigenous land use agreements (ILUAs).

Tribunal President Graeme Neate said the award recognised Mr Doepel's efforts in implementing many of the 1998 amendments to the Native Title Act that affected the work of the Tribunal, particularly those which were the direct responsibility of the Registrar.

Mr Doepel was recruited as Native Title Registrar from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, where he was State Director for Western Australia. He has worked in the Australian Public Service since 1980 and previously held positions with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of Social Security, and the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau, now known as AusAID.

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