Young Professional

Genevieve Rainey, solicitor, Department of Conservation

Genevieve has made an outstanding contribution over the two years she'€™s been a Department of Conservation (DOC) in-house solicitor. She has achieved enduring results for conservation in all Resource Management Act (RMA) litigation she'€™s been involved in, winning all resource consent cases. These have included: ensuring the protection of dusky dolphin habitat in the Marlborough Sounds; securing RMA consents for the successful mouse eradication project on the sub-Antarctic inlands; and protecting significant values of the Mackenzie Basin.

Genevieve designed and implemented a new legal compliance audit system for DOC, and encouraged managers'€™ participation, thus providing a robust set of data for health and safety and general legal compliance. She co-ordinates the DOC RMA legal practice group and is co-chair of the Wellington branch of the Resource Management Law Association, supporting young lawyers and planners. Genevieve is also a musician, performing with choirs and orchestras and teaching music. As her entry states: "Genevieve is an absolute star".