We stand together, come rain or shine 💪

To OLC members and neighbours,

It has been an incredibly intense few days culminating in tonight’s rally and Council’s vote on the fate of the OLC.

At the rally outside the Council Chambers, Uncle Charles Pakana, Dr. Tim Strom, Dr. David Cameron, Br. Harry Prout, Alex Childs, Nina Crawley, Isidro José, Cat Rose and others harnessed our focus on equity for our community. It was lively, spirited, and brought us together.

Unfortunately, we faced far less sympathy in the Council Chambers. Arguments against the recommendation were put forward by myself, Dr. Ben Tomasiello, Abdirizak Mohamed and Peter Timmermans, but these largely seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Cr Mary O’Kane proposed a counter motion to save the Olympic Pool and honour the co-design, but this was voted down 8:1. Cr Rick Garotti proposed an amended recommendation with all core features of the original recommendation, divided as a split motion into ‘Part A-close the pool’ and ‘Part B-other elements’.

All councillors except Cr Mary O’Kane voted to close the pool. The council unanimously voted to the other elements of the recommendation, including meagre library services within the existing shell of the OLC.

Perhaps even more than the potential pool closure, I felt saddened and angered by the blatant disconnect between our community voices and being told what we needed or deserved. Despite hundreds of petition signatures and hours of community engagement, their plans outrank our perspectives.

It is a time of mourning and regrouping, but also one of hope. We are not done yet. The cards were deliberately stacked against us. Council gave us five days notice of a vote with major implications for our lives, but we mobilised, we yelled, and we made ourselves heard. This is only the beginning. We are not done fighting for the OLC.

I am so proud to be a part of this community. We made our voices heard, and we will not be silenced. We will find a way forward to make the best possible OLC, fit for our community needs. Nothing about us without us. We have not given up.

What are the next steps?

Please join us this Saturday 28th June, 1-3pm, at the North Heidelberg Sporting Club (Shelley Park, Heidelberg Heights) to stand together and plan our next steps. This will be a chance to grieve, to support each other, and to decide on a strategy moving forward. I would love your voice to be added to the mix.

In solidarity,

Dr. Aiden Varan, MD, MPH, BSc(Hons)
Paediatric registrar &
President, Olympic Village Action Network
[email protected]
https://ovan.org.au