Contrasting land use policies for climate change adaptation: A case study of political and geo-legal realities for Australian coastal locations

Abstract

There is an assumption that land use planning policies are a central enabler of coastal climate change adaptation in vulnerable localities. Such assumptions presume benefits in balancing competing interests in coastlines. In developed societies, these interests can be usefully categorised as public interest benefits and private property rights. While balanced competing interests is a nice idea, this article explores why complex political and geo-legal realities in vulnerable coastal localities make this balance difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in reality. Using a legal geography lens, I critically examine how local governments use law and land use policy to respond to climate change adaptation in three coastal localities in New South Wales, Australia. I also explore how relations between key coastal actors and dynamic material environments influence climate change adaptation trajectories.