To OLC members and neighbours,

It has been an extremely challenging week for those of us involved in Olympic Leisure Centre (OLC) advocacy. The Olympic Village Action Network (OVAN) committee met on Sunday 29th June and reached unanimous agreement about the next steps for our incorporated association.

We would like to share OVAN’s plan moving forward and invite you to join in our ongoing advocacy efforts for the liveability, health and well-being of our community.

We are providing an extensive background of events to date with open hearts and minds. We hope this will be a useful resource for all community members. For those who continue advocacy efforts to Save the OLC Pool, we hope it gives context on what has come before in order to help inform future steps. For current and future OVAN members, we hope it provides clarity and transparency on our decision-making moving forward.

What is the background?

We are not historians, but have tried our best to summarise key events for context. I encourage you to review our earlier posts for more information.

In brief, the Olympic Leisure Centre (OLC) first opened in 1969 following the repurposing of infrastructure built for the 1956 Olympic Games. It has had a longstanding history of underinvestment, especially regarding its aquatic facilities. The 12.5m children’s pool was in a dire state and was permanently closed (in 2021) due to multiple incidents of children cutting their feet on the tiles. Although the existing 25m pool was recently serviced in 2021-22 to address significant leaks, it is approaching end-of-life and requires more comprehensive servicing or a complete redevelopment to maintain ongoing operations. The facility is also long overdue for revitalisation to meet contemporary and safety standards. All of this occurs in the backdrop of Heidelberg West and surrounding suburbs having faced decades of multifaceted structural disadvantages with significant impacts on health and well-being, despite it being the fastest growing part of Banyule with significant projected population growth and the obvious need for more infrastructure.

Given this lack of investment, overall attendance at the OLC has diminished, although loyal members travel from across and beyond Banyule specifically seeking the OLC. A notable proportion of our community, especially those who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, are elderly, face physical or mental disabilities, are from non-English speaking backgrounds, or otherwise do not have the means to access other facilities. For these community members, the OLC has been a lifeline. It has offered a non-judgmental, welcoming, and inclusive community space whose benefits extend well beyond ‘just a pool’.

What are key recent events related to the OLC?

• In April 2020, the OLC was closed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• In January 2021, the 12m learn-to-swim pool was closed due to several incidents of patrons being cut by sharp edges in the pool shell and the pool’s deteriorating condition.

• In July 2021, an investigation identified a significant leak in the 25m pool, with associated severe structural damage, requiring complete flooring and subfloor replacement, soil excavation, and mould removal.

• The OLC remained closed until October 2022. Temporary provisions were put in place for OLC members to access the Ivanhoe Aquatic Centre, but uptake of this service was anecdotally low.

• In 2021-22, a $200K Council-sponsored community engagement process (‘co-design’) saw a diverse group of 20 community members participate in several meetings to explore the future of the OLC. The 20 community participants came from all walks of life and brought different perspectives to the co-design. After careful discussion and consideration the consensus was a pool was needed at the OLC. The design included a two storey building with modernised aquatics, gyms, courts on the first floor and multipurpose meeting/community spaces on the second level. The Olympic Village Green was redesigned with an emphasis on gathering and provided space to enjoy and celebrate, with added parking to begin to address the issue of the increased usage. There were innumerable considerations taken into account in the creation of the design, with input from pool infrastructure and architect experts, and the whole design was informed by the diverse cultural needs of the community, issues of privacy, the needs of our ageing community, and the wellness effects of hydrotherapy. Using the findings and architectural design produced in the co-design process, broader community consultation occurred, resulting in an overwhelming call for a pool to be incorporated into the new rebuild of the OLC.

• In February 2023, the co-design team presented a Community Vision to Council which consisted of a comprehensive redesign of a new OLC and its aquatic facilities, as well as the Olympic Village Green space/area. This was a plan that would meet the community’s needs, accounting for its diverse and complex population. At this same meeting, Council resolved to include OLC as a low-level facility in the Banyule Aquatic Strategy (released June 2023).

• In November 2023, Council resolved to continue analysis into the feasibility of the co-design vision. However, no commitment was made regarding the fulfilment of this vision. A follow-up report was tabled to be received by late 2024.

• Unfortunately, no report was tabled in late 2024 or early 2025, despite repeated inquiry from the co-design members. Council has stated that “due to the general election of Council in late 2024 along with comprehensive reform associated with mandatory training and induction requirements for Councillors, this report was necessarily delayed.”

What has happened this year (2025)?

In March-May 2025, given ongoing delays in Council follow-up, Ms. Nina Crawley (a local resident and parent of two living in the Olympic Village) organised and submitted a petition calling on Council to honour the OLC Community Vision:

On Monday 23rd May, Council tabled and received this petition with a total of 357 supporting signatures, which was referred on to the CEO of Banyule Council for response.

On Tuesday 17th June, co-design participants were first notified via email from Banyule Council that a report concerning the OLC was to be tabled for a vote on Monday 23rd June.

On Wednesday 18th June, Council publicly released the agenda for its next Ordinary Meeting, including the report on the OLC and its associated recommendation to be put for vote:

Later that same day, Cr. Mary O’Kane (Olympia Ward) called for an emergency meeting at Shop 48 (Bell St. Mall) on Saturday 21st June to seek community feedback on the report and its implications.

On Thursday 19th June, 6:30pm, Shop 48 (Bell St. Mall), a small group meeting for co-design participants hosted by Council staff was held to outline this report. Feedback from this meeting was neither solicited nor incorporated into the report.

On Saturday 21st June, 1:30pm, Cr. O’Kane hosted an emergency community consultation at Shop 48. Despite only 48 hours' notice, with the help of OVAN in community activation including flyer dropping and direct outreach, over 150 OLC members, residents of Heidelberg West and surrounding suburbs, and other concerned parties attended the meeting. Five councillors (Cr. O’Kane [Olympia], Cr. Garotti [Grimshaw], Cr. Wood [Hawdon], Cr McKern [Chelsworth], and Cr. Castaldo [Griffin] also attended. Thirty-one speakers gave heartfelt accounts of the importance of the OLC to them, and the impact that the OLC’s loss of aquatic facilities would have on their lives and the lives of the community’s most vulnerable citizens.

What happened to the OLC last Monday?

On Monday 23rd June, after only five days of public release of their tabled recommendation, Banyule Council voted and passed Resolution CO2025/77. Initially, Cr. O’Kane tabled an alternative recommendation as follows:

Apart from Cr. O’Kane, all councillors voted against this motion, and it was lost. Subsequently, Cr. Garotti tabled an amended version of the original recommendation:

Voting for this motion was split into two parts. For Part A, councillors voted 8:1 in favour (i.e., to decommission aquatic components by October 2025); only Cr. O’Kane voted against this recommendation. For Part B, councillors unanimously voted in favour. Thus, the motion was passed.

This was a heartfelt blow for many of our community, not only in authorising the rapid decommissioning of the aquatic facilities (pool, spa, and sauna) at the OLC by October 2025, but also that the proposed alternative (a 30 hour/week library service and refurbished gym facility) did not draw on adequate community engagement.

Who is the Olympic Village Action Network (OVAN)?

`OVAN was incorporated one month ago, on 2nd June 2025 in response to the prospect of OLC closure or significant downsizing based on Councillor feedback to the petition to honour the co-design. However, we intentionally took a broader view of our purpose, which includes but is not limited to the OLC. We adopted the model rules for Victorian incorporated associations.

The purposes of our association are:

Our founding committee is:

As a committee, we are a group of local Olympic Village residents of varying ages, backgrounds, religions, political affiliations, and include both homeowners and renters. Several of our members (Alex, Jean and Harry) were on the 2021-22 co-design team and have fought to retain a pool in Heidelberg West for years, others were newer to the issue, motivated to join and support increased investment in and attention to the Olympic Village.

For the purposes of full disclosure:

• Nina Crawley is a member of the Australian Greens political party, and was a prior Greens candidate for Ibbott Ward (Banyule Council) in the 2024 local government elections.

• Alex Childs was a prior independent candidate for Olympia Ward (Banyule Council) in the 2024 local government elections.

What have OVAN and its members done so far?

As individual residents before incorporation, and as a committee and community in the month since incorporation, OVAN has achieved many milestones including (but not limited to):

• Drafting, canvassing, and submitting a petition on OLC to Council

• Establishing multiple active forums for community engagement and mobilising including Whatsapp chat, Facebook and Instagram accounts, and mailing list.

• Liaised with media organisations (Victorian Aboriginal News, ABC News, The Age, Channel 9 news) to facilitate written, radio, and TV segments on the proposed closure of OLC aquatic facilities.

• Organised and promoted a community discussion forum on Saturday 14th June with 30+ attendees, including active OLC members, to discuss the petition and build community support before Council recommendations were public.

• Delivered three rounds of community-wide letterbox flyer distribution through a committed network of community volunteers.

• Organised a march to save the OLC following Cr. O’Kane’s emergency community meeting on Saturday 21st June from Shop 48 (The Mall) to the OLC, with more than 25 participants.

• Organised a rally outside Council chambers on Monday 23rd June preceding the vote to build solidarity, gain media attention, and increase pressure on Councillors to vote in support of retaining OLC aquatic facilities.

• Coordinated community to make submissions to the Banyule Plan process, the Banyule Health and Wellbeing Plan, and the Active Banyule strategy.

• Attended and spoke at the Banyule Plan consultation session (Tuesday 15th April), helped secure an additional Active Banyule consultation outside the OLC (Thursday 5th June), and rallied community members to attend and participate in these meetings.

• Attended multiple council meetings sharing statistics that demonstrate the disadvantage and specific need in Olympic Village and shared our stories.

• Liaised with and advocated to range of stakeholders in relation to the OLC, including:

  • All Banyule councillors, plus sought confidential advice from councillors in other municipalities

  • State MP Hon. Anthony Carbines

  • Federal MP Hon. Kate Thwaites

  • Local leaders and support organisations: Uncle Charles Pakana, Himilo community, Somali Voice, Holstep Health, local primary schools, local childcare organisations, local sporting clubs

  • Peak bodies: Live Saving Victoria

  • Prior Australian Save the Pool initiatives: Save the Fawkner Pool, Golden Square Pool Bendigo, Save the Coburg Pool

  • Sports celebrities: Nicole Livingstone (previous Australian Olympic Swimmer)

According to Cr. O’Kane, in the week leading up to Council’s 23rd June meeting, she had received in excess of 80 emails. We helped advocate for alternative motions and amendments to the initial recommendation, and we believe this contributed to a stronger final resolution passing, even if it was not successful to prevent decommissioning of current aquatic infrastructure.

What has happened since Council’s vote on 23rd June?

On Saturday 28th June, OVAN hosted a community session to seek input and discuss next steps in relation to the OLC. We are extremely grateful to the North Heidelberg Sports Club for offering their venue and facilities pro bono at short notice, and to Sanne de Svart for kindly volunteering to act as an external facilitator.

Our proposed aims were to seek voices from the community regarding this outcome and next steps, to elaborate on the individual perspectives of OVAN committee members, and to divide into working groups to workshop strategies and approaches under various banners.

We had more than 40 attendees, including new and familiar faces. The discussion was spirited, and at times heated. The emotional impact of Council’s decision was profound, and the feelings of anger, frustration, resentment, and grief were raw in the room. There were some loud voices and some quieter ones. We are sorry that we did not get a chance to work in smaller groups where quieter voices may have been heard.

Through the meeting many attendees shared their impassioned views. In hindsight, it was a near impossible task for a large and diverse group to reach consensus so soon after the vote.

The meeting was deliberately planned as an open community forum rather than a formalised, structured process. To date, while OVAN has received several membership applications, we have not had the time and capacity to process and formally on-board any members apart from the committee. Thus, the model rules for meeting conduct as adopted by OVAN did not apply.

Nevertheless, a motion was put forward by Mr. Marty Hirst for a vote by meeting participants (text as spoken verbatim on second reading prior to vote):

It was clarified that this was a motion of this group (i.e., participants in that meeting), not a motion forwarded on or behalf of OVAN.

The motion was put to vote by attendees, and the majority of attendees voted in favour. However, as the motion spontaneously arose in the meeting, and was not provided in written format, it afforded little time for discussion, debate, and consideration of implementation and implications.

What are OVAN’s plans for next steps?

After careful consideration following Saturday’s meeting, the OVAN committee has unanimously decided to pivot away from the Save the OLC Pool Campaign. Our future direction, priorities, and rationale for pivoting are as follows:

We are aware that this does not include several points in Mr. Hirst’s motion. To clarify further:

• OVAN will not be organising a community meeting this Saturday 5th July

• OVAN is not calling on council to rescind Resolution CO2025/77

• OVAN does not commit to participating in a rally outside Council’s next meeting on 14th July

We realise some may find this very disappointing. Ultimately, with limited time, we had to make the decision we collectively felt was right for the situation and context, drawing on our individual and collective learnings and experience over the past 5 years in relation to OLC. We have pivoted because we feel this approach will deliver the best outcomes for Olympic Village in a very constrained situation. We reiterate that we reached this conclusion in unanimity as a committee after extensive debate. We intend to take all we have learned and the relationships we have built to address our current three priorities.

For those who wish to continue Save the OLC Pool advocacy efforts, we encourage you to set up a separate Whatsapp group to productively direct your energy. OVAN is happy to post this link in our Whatsapp group, and to direct interested community members towards this new group. We would kindly ask that discussion in our group is focused on OVAN business and strategic priorities as outlined above.

How can I get or stay involved with OVAN?

For OLC members, residents of Heidelberg West or surrounding suburbs, or allies who wish to collaborate in our work on these three priorities, we welcome your ongoing or new participation.

If you are interested to stay abreast of our work, even if your priority is on Save the OLC Pool initiatives, we invite you to join this mailing list to stay updated.

We will contact all community members who previously applied for OVAN membership to clarify whether they still wish to remain involved given this significant strategic pivot.

For any other community wishing to become OVAN members, please email [email protected] and we can provide membership application forms and further details. We currently do not have a joining or annual membership fee, as our priority is community inclusiveness in our advocacy.

We are also exploring funding streams as all printing and work to date has been provided out of pocket by OVAN committee members. We welcome suggestions on ethical, appropriate funding mechanisms.

We realise this is a very long message. If you have reached this point, thank you for taking the time and energy. We hope to continue the conversation for years to come in our advocacy for the liveability, health, and well-being of the Olympic Village and its residents.

Dr. Aiden Varan, MD, MPH, BSc(Hons)
Paediatric registrar &
President, Olympic Village Action Network
On behalf of the Olympic Village Action Network Incorporated Association Committee
[email protected]
https://ovan.org.au
https://ovan.beehiiv.com