Key points
UC researchers are examining how dispute resolution systems perform following major disasters, including the Canterbury earthquakes.
The research explores how land law, contracts, insurance arrangements, and statutory interventions influence disaster recovery outcomes.
Findings will support recommendations to improve legal processes, reduce delays, and strengthen post-disaster recovery.
Understanding law and recovery after disasters
Major disasters create complex legal challenges involving property damage, insurance claims, rebuilding, land-use decisions, and government interventions. The effectiveness of these legal processes can have a significant impact on how quickly individuals, businesses, and communities recover.
Research led by Associate Professor Toni Collins and Professor John Hopkins from the Faculty of Law at the University of Canterbury (UC) examines whether legal frameworks governing dispute resolution systems operate effectively following disasters and how they can better support recovery.
Drawing on lessons from the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquakes and the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, the research explores how legal relationships, regulatory responses, and community outcomes evolve during and after major events.
Examining the post-disaster performance of legal systems
Toni and John’s research focuses on legal and policy issues arising after disasters with a particular focus on land-related disputes and insurance claims within Aotearoa New Zealand’s dispute resolution framework.
The work examines contractual obligations, risk-allocation mechanisms, insurance arrangements, and statutory interventions, assessing whether existing frameworks are equipped to respond to the scale and complexity of post-disaster recovery.
Particular attention is given to dispute resolution processes and how they operated post-disaster, including courts, and the specialist entities established to address disaster-related claims. The research seeks to identify both examples of best practice and systemic issues that may delay recovery or create additional challenges for affected communities.
Improving outcomes for communities
The research highlights that efficient and effective dispute resolution is crucial to post-disaster recovery. Delays, uncertainty, and unresolved disputes can have significant social, economic, and mental health impacts for individuals and communities already dealing with the consequences of a disaster.
By examining recovery experiences across different earthquakes and jurisdictions, the project is identifying ways to improve coordination, manage expectations, and reduce the need for disputes wherever possible.
International comparisons also provide insights into alternative approaches that may strengthen Aotearoa New Zealand's ability to respond to future disasters.
Building resilience for future disasters
As climate-related events and other natural hazards continue to place pressure on communities, ensuring that dispute resolution systems are prepared to respond effectively is becoming increasingly important.
The research will contribute to policy recommendations aimed at strengthening post-disaster resilience, improving access to justice, and supporting faster, fairer recovery outcomes.
The way legal systems respond after a disaster can have lasting impacts on people's ability to recover. By understanding what worked, what didn't, and how systems can be improved, we can help build more resilient communities and more effective recovery processes.– Associate Professor Toni Collins
Talk to Associate Professor Toni Collins or Professor John Hopkins about disaster law, land law, dispute resolution, and post-disaster recovery.
Last updated: October 2026
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We gratefully acknowledge funding from Te Hiranga Rū | QuakeCoRE
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