The extent of land damage during the Canterbury earthquakes was a wake up call. It disproportionately impacted  many aspects of the recovery, including costs, time, community cohesion and individual welfare. The earthquake geotechnical engineering practice series of modules were developed to improve consistency and standard of practice in New Zealand. The current project to update them has highlighted a number of dilemmas and challenges that will need to be considered in a collaborative cross-disciplinary manner if the profession is to design structures that meet the needs and expectations of New Zealanders.