This book is based on a doctoral research that looked at the constraints and opportunities posed by disaster-related legislation on post-disaster reconstruction activities. The research evaluated the provisions of the Building, Resource Management and Civil Defence Emergency Management Acts in New Zealand, to determine if they are in tandem with the demands for the reconstruction of physical facilities in major natural disasters. The main thesis postulated is that proper consideration should be given to the peculiarities of post disaster reconstruction within building and environmental development legislation.Thus a business as usual' approach could not be expected to be operable during significant reconstruction programmes. The author has several publications around this subject matter showing how subsisting legislation could become a source of vulnerability after significant disasters.