President
Kevin Smith
Location: Brisbane
Kevin holds traditional connections to Ugar (Stephen Island) and Erub (Darnley Island) in the Torres Strait. He has worked in both professional and voluntary capacities in Indigenous Affairs at local, regional, and national levels for the past thirty-five years. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from The University of Queensland and was admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1994. Kevin has held senior executive positions with the National Secretariat of Torres Strait Islander Organisations, the Brisbane Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service and Aboriginal Hostels Limited. Since 2002, Kevin has worked solely in native title in multiple roles including Queensland State Manager of the National Native Title Tribunal, Chief Executive Officer of Queensland South Native Title Services and Deputy Chair and Non-Executive Director of the National Native Title Council. In July 2023, Kevin was appointed President of the National Native Title Tribunal.
Member
Ms Nerida Cooley
Location: Brisbane
Ms Nerida Cooley was appointed as a Member of the National Native Title Tribunal under section 111 of the
Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) on 11 February 2019.
She has specialised in native title and cultural heritage law since 1995. During that time Ms Cooley has held senior legal and policy roles in government, including as Deputy Crown Solicitor of Queensland, and has also worked in private legal practice across various States and Territories. Ms Cooley has extensive experience in the mediation and negotiation of native title claims, indigenous land use agreements and right to negotiate matters, including the conduct of proceedings before the Tribunal.
Ms Cooley holds the degree of Bachelor of Laws from the Queensland Institute of Technology and was admitted to practice as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1990. She is an accredited mediator under the Australian National Mediator Standards.
Member
Mr Glen Kelly
Location: Perth
Mr Glen Kelly was appointed as a Member of the National Native Title Tribunal under section 111 of the
Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) on 2 March 2021.
Mr Kelly is a Noongar man from South West Western Australia. He has 25 years’ experience in the areas of Aboriginal affairs, native title, community and cultural development.
He has served as the CEO of the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, CEO of the National Native Title Council, a Director of KPMG’s Indigenous Services, Chair of the WA Aboriginal Lands Trust, a Member of the Reconciliation Australia Board of Directors, Principal of Djilba Consulting and CEO of the Forum for Directors of Indigenous Organisations.
Member
Ms Lisa Eaton
Location: Perth
Ms Lisa Eaton was appointed as a Member of the National Native Title Tribunal under section 111 of
the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) on 16 December 2022.
Ms Eaton holds a Bachelor of Laws and was admitted to practice as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2005. A highly experienced lawyer, her work has focussed on native title, administrative law and mediation across various States and Territories. Lisa was elected to membership of the Western Australia Bar Association in 2019, practising as an independent Barrister immediately prior to her appointment. Ms Eaton was also appointed by Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck as an inaugural Member of the National Sports Tribunal in 2020.
Prior to these roles she worked at the National Native Title Tribunal, initially as the Principal Advisor, Practice and Legislation (2014-18) and then as acting Deputy Registrar (2018-19).
Member
Mr Simon Grant
Location: Brisbane
Mr Simon Grant was appointed as a Member of the National Native Title Tribunal under section 111 of the
Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) on 17 March 2025.
Mr Grant holds the degree of Bachelor of Laws from the Queensland University Technology and was admitted to practice as a lawyer of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2005. He worked in private legal practice for a number of years prior to commencing with Crown Law Queensland in 2011, where he practised exclusively in native title and cultural heritage law. He held various senior legal roles with Crown Law Queensland between 2011 and 2014 and 2016 and 2018, and was the Director of Professional Conduct and Legal Policy with the Bar Association of Queensland between 2014 and 2016.
From 2018 to the date of his appointment to the Tribunal, Mr Grant held the position of Judicial Registrar – Native Title, Federal Court of Australia. In this role, he worked exclusively in the Court’s native title national practice area, most commonly conducting mediations and other alternative dispute resolution processes in Queensland, particularly in the Cape York and Torres Strait regions, and in New South Wales.
Mr Grant is a nationally accredited mediator under the Australian National Mediator Accreditation System (NMAS).
