For Georgi York, the NSW government's plans to erect a smokestack near her children's school has made her worry about the impact of increased air pollution on their developing bodies.
"I believe if [NSW Premier] Gladys had young children going to this school, she would look at other options," said Ms York, mother of Anzac Park Public students Ellie, aged 10, Zac, 8, and Phoenix, 6.
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Health fears over Beaches Link smokestacks
Parents are concerned about the plans to build smokestacks near schools in North Sydney, and the impact they may have on their children's health.
"They're so young and still developing in every way, mentally and physically, and I'm worried about the increased air pollution."
Doctors say parents and nearby residents have every right to be concerned about the pollutants that may spew out of the proposed six exhaust ventilation stacks required for the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link tollway, especially ones less than 200 metres from schools.
Leaked cabinet-in-confidence documents on the planned 14-kilometre tunnel shows homes, schools, childcare centres and hospitals have been identified as "sensitive receptors".
Respiratory specialist Professor Christine Jenkins said fumes from the proposed stacks will "almost certainly" contain small particles that, if breathed in over a long time, could cause lung disease and even cancer.
"People who have asthma or other lung diseases as well as people who do not have these conditions may experience irritable and inflamed airways when exposed to these particles," said Professor Jenkins, chair of Lung Foundation Australia.
Vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly were at particular risk, said health equity expert Jude Page, who has advised politicians on air pollution only to discover that they often didn't take the issue very seriously.
"If emission stacks are built high, for example on the Harbour Bridge pylons, most of the pollution is dispersed and some broken down by UV rays, therefore of little harm," she Ms Page, former NSW branch president of Public Health Association of Australia.
"But in practice, stacks are built where it is convenient, where the government owns the land, so they aren't as high as we've recommended, probably because it costs money to push the air out."
Premier Gladys Berejiklian gave her "personal assurance" that local parents, many in her constituency, had nothing to worry about.
"Geo tech planning is still underway and we will have a detailed plan about the project by the middle of next year," she said.
"Once we have done that work, once we have a cost, once we have an alignment, we will obviously convey that to the community."
Wenona School is within 200 metres of a proposed shaft. This one is of particular concern because the papers show the dispersal of pollution will be hindered by tall buildings.
Its principal Briony Scott said the school had "serious concerns" about how the emissions may impact the health of staff and students, especially those on site 24/7, and she was "disappointed in the lack of direct and genuine consultation on this project".
But Christine Cowie from the Centre for Air Quality Health Research and Evaluation at the Woolcock Institute said there were some benefits from the proposed tunnel, including the removal of surface traffic. This could actually improve air quality "in general" for some people.
She said more attention should be given to the quality of engineering to ensure that stacks emitted pollutants at high enough speeds to disperse them over a wide area.
She said the science wasn't precise on how air quality changed at different distances from a stack.
Anzac Park Primary School's P&C; wants the stacks moved "well away" and be filtered, but Dr Cowie said it was unlikely filtered stacks would be built because they weren't very effective and were expensive to run.
"For me, I want the debate to be more about getting people out of cars and onto public transport, because that will decrease pollution," she said.
P&C; president Russell Rigby said they will lobby local members to move the stacks away from the school.
"We are linking with other community groups such as WestConnex who have similar concerns about the smokestacks," he said.
Michael Moore, president of the Public Health Association of Australia, said he couldn't understand why the government would spend billions on "making cars move" when research showed public transport could reduce obesity rates.
The Crows Nest TAFE is within 500 metres of the proposed Ridge Street exhaust stack in North Sydney and in 2019 will become the senior campus of Cammeraygal High.
Other schools within 500 metres of proposed smokestacks include Marist College North Shore, the North Sydney Boys High School, the Cameragal Montessori School, the KU Cammeray Pre-School, the Balgowlah Boys Campus of the Northern Beaches Secondary College and the KU Bligh Park Pre-School.