Children in the Ōtautahi/Christchurch suburb of Bromley can literally breathe a sigh of relief on Tuesday night.
Forty air purifiers have been gifted to the local school due to the ongoing stench following a fire at a sewage treatment plant almost two years ago.
And the tamariki, who have reported worsening breathing issues, will be able to take the purifiers home.
It may look like a clear, blue day at Bromley School, but the air its students continue to breathe is anything but.
"We noticed immediately that Connor's asthma was really bad," said Leisha McCullum, Connor's mum. "It had gone from being bad to really bad."
In late 2021, the suburb became drenched in a stench after a fire broke out at the nearby sewage treatment plant.
The fire damaged its two filters, causing a pungent smell to continuously fill the air. Almost two years later, it's still taking a toll.
"He's missed a lot of days off school, we try our hardest to catch up but Connor is slightly behind in his schooling this year," McCullum said in regards to her son.
And he's not alone.
The forty air purifiers have been gifted by the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation for the homes of kids affected most by the poor air quality.
"If they've had problems breathing or feeling uncomfortable and not relaxed at home, that's not going to transpose well into a learning environment so I would imagine the impact would be quite huge," said Scot Kinley, principal at Bromley School.
And while they're happy to help, advocates say it should have been dealt with by the council a long time ago.
"It's outrageous," said Letitia Harding, the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation's CEO.
"Lung health of our rangatahi is a priority and they need to focus on that. I think the council should go down and set their offices up at the school and see what they think for the next couple of months."
In the meantime, McCullum told Newshub they can't wait to use an air purifier at home.
"I know without fail they'll make an impact in our home, and potentially make sleeping easier, breathing easier and coming to school easier," she said.
It's a breath of fresh air for whānau in the community.
