Mary McConnell

Mary’s living the dream as Principal Planner in our Queenstown office. “I love that HG offered me the flexibility to move to Queenstown in 2019,” says Mary. “After working in New Zealand's three major cities, what truly resonates about planning here is the chance to safeguard the distinctive environment that the district presents on both a local, national, and global scale. This gives me a genuine sense of purpose as I contribute to positive changes, ensuring that the outcomes I deliver are acknowledged and valued by both the local community and the visitors it attracts.”

Mary’s role involves assessing effects of proposals on the environment and liaising with applicants and technical experts to ensure that effects of developments are mitigated as much as possible. She works collaboratively with all parties involved in the consenting process to achieve well-balanced and sustainable solutions that benefit both the community and the environment.

Outside of work, Mary loves exploring Queenstown and surrounds, daily Pilates, in the summer biking and spending time on the lake and in the winter heading up the mountain for snowboarding. “I mix this up with playground outings with my wild girls and in the weekends head to a local vineyard to sample the latest Pinots.”  

University of Auckland Bachelor of Planning, University of Auckland Master of Planning, Certified Making Good Decision Maker 2022

MNZPI, RMLA, Elected member to Cromwell Community Board