BA(Hons) (Leiden) LLM (Edinburgh) PhD (Otago)
Contact
Email ben.tombs@otago.ac.nz
Office 9th Floor – 9C11
Teaching
Ben teaches property law.
Research interests
Ben researches the legal aspects of climate change impacts. Topics include climate adaptation, damage and loss, local council liability, resource management, hazards risk, disaster risk reduction, emergency management, managed relocation and New Zealand climate change legislation.
Background
Ben joined the faculty in 2026. His PhD ‘Property Purgatory’ (2023) examined insurance retreat and local council liability ahead of climate change induced damages. Postdoctoral research assessed the disconnect between emergency post-disaster inquiries and pre-emptive hazard management implementation. Separate postdoctoral research examined how Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) can illustrate historical landowner choices under the Climate Change Response Act 2002.
Ben has worked with Māori research organisation Takarangi Research Ltd and the Environmental Defence Society. Both roles focused on integrating climate risk, monitoring and adaptation planning tools with local authority resource management functions.
Publications
Dudley Tombs, B., Lawrence, J., & Bell, R. (2026). Perpetuating disasters: Breaking New Zealand's cycle of inertia following natural hazards. Policy Quarterly, 22(2), 25-32. doi: 10.26686/pq.v22i2.10723 Journal - Research Article
Tombs, B., Lawrence, J., & Bell, R. (2026). Perpetuating disasters: Unbundling New Zealand's cycle of inertia following natural hazards. Wellington, New Zealand: Climate Change Research Institute, Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved from https://resiliencechallenge.nz/outputs/perpetuating-disasters-unbundling-new-zealands-cycle-of-inertia-following-natural-hazards Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report
Dudley Tombs, B., Lawrence, J., & Bell, R. (2026). ‘Disaster inertia’: Why must NZ keep relearning the same lessons from extreme events? The Conversation. doi: 10.64628/AA.nuaemqkxg Journal - Research Other
Peart, R., & Dudley Tombs, B. (2023). Current legislative and policy framework for managed relocation [Working paper 2: Aotearoa New Zealand's Climate Change Adaptation Act: Building a durable future]. Auckland, New Zealand: Environmental Defence Society Incorporated. Retrieved from https://eds.org.nz Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report
Peart, R., Dudley Tombs, B., & Marshall, K. (2023). Options and models for managed relocation policy [Working paper 3: Aotearoa New Zealand's Climate Change Adaptation Act: Building a durable future]. Auckland, New Zealand: Environmental Defence Society Incorporated. Retrieved from https://eds.org.nz Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report