That means we don t have clarity over the responsibilities when it comes to these sorts of decisions. It s not very easy for us to know exactly how things would turn out in court - there s a limit to how much council can justify a policy and then prescribe it, he explained. We can only do what s allowed within the law - and so without having that legislative framework, we can t have a really clear policy on it because it might not be legal. We have to be very careful that we do things that are defensible.
Dr Lawrence says the implications of sea level rises are far bigger than any local government can deal with by themselves. She s among the chorus of experts calling for a national plan to address it.