It was announced that the 14-kilometre tunnel between Rozelle and Allambie Heights, also known as the “Western Harbour Beaches Link” will cost $14 billion to build. 

The $14 billion is estimated to include $340 million for property acquisitions, $5 billion for direct construction and $2.3 billion of indirect construction, costing almost as much as the 33-kilometre WestConnex project. 
To build the tunnel, more than 20 houses will need to be acquired and demolished, in addition to the 50 buildings. 

Also, six exhaust ventilation stacks locations have been identified but not confirmed. 

The sites of the smokestacks are within several metres of different schools. The schools are the Wenona School in North Sydney, the Anzac Park Primary School in Cammeray and the Seaforth Public School are within 200 metres of the proposed sites. 

Other schools within 500 metres include the 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. 

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that the locations for exhaust stacks “had not been finalised at all”, supporting the fact that the geotechnical and design work was still not complete. 

“It is way too early to make any predictions about where things are going to be,” she said. 
The government has already committed $77 million for geotechnical work, and a further $17.6 million to plan the route. 

Even though the $14 billion is not the final price, it is currently going through a process of review and market testing to best benefit the taxpayer.