Abstract
Sea-level rise induced compounding climate hazards will cause foreseeable economic and physical loss to people and property. Once the exposure to these losses is recognised, residents could become stuck in the danger zone by a lack of means to relocate. This circumstance, where people are stuck without a defined access to recovery, is property purgatory. This thesis explores the issue of property purgatory and examines how it should be interpreted against a backdrop of Aotearoa New Zealand historical legal, policy and philosophical application of responsibility ahead of foreseeable hazards.