"I take it very seriously," she said. "A lot of people are telling me I should pull my place down and rebuild."

Ms Barnes said her first glimpse of how rising sea levels may affect her in years to come came during the June 2007 Pasha storm, which left about 60 centimetres of water in her yard.

"It certainly got me thinking about what it could be like in the future."

The owner of Tides Cafe and Restaurant, Gwenda Muddle, is concerned about the impact rising waters could have on the value of the business she opened earlier this year.

She's worried the 20 metres between her business and the water might not be enough.

The long-time resident said she had noticed the tides getting higher over the years.