"Every time there is a storm or high seas we are very concerned about our property and our personal safety," she said.

Mrs Hopkins' beachfront property at Collaroy on Sydney's northern beaches was one of a number damaged by severe storms that battered the NSW coastline in June 2016.

Mrs Hopkins said she had lost two to three metres of her yard. "The fence surrounding our property was badly damaged with broken glass. The fence is unstable and dangerous as portions hang precariously after the concrete footings were washed away."

However, the aftermath of the storm continues to be felt by Mrs Hopkins and her neighbours, who are at loggerheads with Northern Beaches Council over the construction of a seawall to protect their properties.

The dispute, which centres on the location of the protective barrier and how it should be built and maintained, has dragged on for 18 months and led to legal action by residents who blame the council for the delay.

Their view is supported by Independent councillor Vincent De Luca, who said: "I am both appalled and disappointed that residents who have suffered great damage emotionally and financially since the storms nearly 18 months ago are still having to navigate through the bureaucracy and confront what appears unnecessary red tape to protect their properties and future."

Cr De Luca said he had been told one property owner has been forced to live in a garage and another elderly gentleman has been diagnosed with cancer during this stressful situation.

"These people have suffered enough and should be helped not seen as cash cows," he said.

'Unreasonable conditions'

Mrs Hopkins and her husband Mike are willing to spend the estimated $150,000 its will to build the seawall on their property.

But she said: "Council will not allow us to carry out any repairs to protect our property until a [development application] is approved. They want us to agree to their unreasonable conditions or live with the danger."

Other property owners on Pittwater Road have also faced delays in gaining approval to build a seawall that would encroach on public land.

However, the owners of nearby hotels were ordered by the council to repair existing protective structures damaged during the storm.

"We are prepared to and have offered to maintain, at our expense, 100 per cent of protective works on our property but will not accept draconian conditions that the council has attempted to attach including liens on our property, easements, bank guarantees and unlimited liability," Mrs Hopkins said.

The June 2016 storm also damaged her neighbour J.P. Salama's property. He said the conditions sought by the council could potentially cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to comply with.

"We believe council has an agenda to shift the burden of maintaining the public beach onto the Crown and residents," he said.

"Council will inevitably blame Crown lands on the delay or 'unreasonable' residents for not accepting their draconian conditions and opportunistic attempt to have someone else pay for maintaining Collaroy beach."

Delays

A council spokeswoman said the council had to make sure the seawalls did not have long-term impacts to neighbouring properties including the beach.

"It would be unlawful for Council to approve development without these legal requirements attached to conditions of consent," she said.

"The state government framework is not perfect, however Council has worked constructively with the representatives of the residents to try and find a solution that addresses resident concerns but is also in keeping with the law.

The mayor of Northern Beaches council, Michael Regan, said he sympathised with the plight of Mrs Hopkins, but the council had to comply with coastal protection laws.

"It is disappointing this has ended up in court but of course Council must abide by the relevant state law, which in this case was set up by the state government to protect our spectacular coastline," Cr Regan said.

"In this case that means ensuring that neighbouring lands and properties that may be impacted by this work are also protected in the long term.

"While we sympathise with these residents and the devastation they endured following the storms, our hands are tied by the state government requirements we have to apply to any approval for protection works."

In the meantime, Mrs Hopkins said she faces higher insurance premiums, while the delay in building the seawall is likely to increase the cost of its construction.

She also worries that wild weather and rough seas will cause further property damage.

"Since the June 2016 storm, there have been other storms and high tides," she said. "Our property continues to be adversely affected with a further loss of property and is dangerous to us and the community."