Nina Crawley has fond memories of swimming laps in her local pool when she was pregnant with her now five-year-old son. She had hoped he and his younger sister would grow up and take swimming lessons there, or walk there on hot afternoons with friends. But now she's part of a community push to save the pool in a disadvantaged part of Melbourne's north-east, as the local council decides whether to decommission it and replace it with a library. The Olympic Leisure Centre in Heidelberg West sits in the shadow of the Olympic Rings that hang suspended over the pedestrian crossing — a daily reminder of the community's proud Olympic history and a symbol of the ideals — faster, higher, stronger. It's part of a community that was set up as the athletes' village for the Melbourne 1956 Olympics. The Olympic Leisure Centre came soon after, and the pool was added in the 1970s. But a report released this week notes the pool is nearing the end of its life, and "likely soon to reach asset failure". "Due to the age of the asset, there are also serious integrity concerns regarding the pool's shell," Banyule council officers found. Pool loses $1m a year, at the end of its life Councillors will vote on the pool's future on Monday, with officers recommending the pool, spa and sauna be decommissioned. They propose that the building be refitted as a library at a cost of $1.8 million. Council officers argue attendance at the pool is "extremely low", with an average of 77 people a day for 2023/24, and a forecast 80 people a day in 2024/25. The most highly-used programs were the aqua aerobics classes which bring an average of 16 people a day, the report said. The average cost to council per visit is $35.97, much higher than the industry average of $4-$5 per visit, and the centre operated at a loss of $1,014,877 in 2023/24. Council officers also said the pool has been considered "one of the worst-performing centres in Victoria". The children's pool was closed several years ago and residents told a recent council meeting the door to the spa was so rusty, it didn't close properly. But locals say restricted opening hours and the aging facility can partly explain the low attendance numbers. Community called for upgraded pool Harry Prout has worked in Olympic Village for about 25 years and was part of the council's community co-design team that proposed a $30 million expansion to the pool. He wants the council to use the community support to lobby other levels of government for investment. Mr Prout said the community felt "railroaded" when they found out council officers were recommending closing the pool. He said he had worked with people facing significant disadvantage in West Heidelberg, and there was a real need for a pool for everyone from elderly people recovering from injury to kids' swimming lessons. "We're miles away from the beach and there's nowhere for kids to go and cool off and swim," Mr Prout said. He disputed the argument that locals could simply access other services, such as in Ivanhoe or Northcote. An ABC report this year found more than half of Victoria's public pools are more than 50 years old, the point at which they usually reach the end of their life. Dr Aiden Varan is a paediatric doctor who lives two blocks from the Olympic Leisure Centre. He said there were powerful health reasons for investing in the pool, beyond water safety. "There's no doubt healthy and active living is critical for young people, but also that opportunity for healthy and active engagement," he said. "It's literally across the road from a primary school and that school has to bus its kids to another pool for lessons." Changing demographic Nina Crawley's family is among a number of young families who call Olympic Village home. Data from Banyule council shows the area around Heidelberg West is the fastest-growing part of the municipality, with forecast growth of 36 per cent by 2041, including many young families. She understands the council's issues with cost, but believes a rebuilt pool would be well-used. "We're the fastest-growing area in Banyule, we're right next to a massively growing area in Preston as well," Ms Crawley said. "The community is going to need this facility now and into the future. It's short sighted not to build it now." Banyule City Council's Director Community Wellbeing, Joseph Tabacco, said Olympic Leisure Centre has served the community for more than 70 years. "The report being considered by Banyule Council on Monday recommends closing the aging aquatic facilities (established in the 1970s) and repurposing the building to include a new library, expanded health and wellness facilities and community spaces," he said in a statement. "Given the age of the aquatic spaces, they have now reached the end of their useful life."