City of Ryde Residents who hold an accepted pensioner and/or health care card are currently eligible for free entry to the RALC. Proof of City of Ryde residency must also be supplied.
Click here to view the accepted pensioners and health care cardholders.
Concession includes seniors, students and eligible pensioners and health care cardholders. Those that fall in this category receive a discounted entry fee of $8.10 compared to the adult entry of $10.50 (casual entry - FY2025/26).
However, if you are a City of Ryde Resident who is a pensioner and/or health care cardholder, you are currently entitled to free entry to the RALC.
Following the public exhibition of the Draft 2025/26 Fees and Charges in May 2025, Council committed to further community consultation on the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre (RALC) resident pensioner scheme review, as outlined in the Mayoral Minute adopted at the Council Meeting on 27 May 2025.
Council is reviewing the free entry scheme to ensure it remains fair, sustainable, and aligned with community expectations. While City of Ryde is committed to supporting active and healthy lifestyles for vulnerable groups, we must acknowledge the increased costs associated with the scheme combined with increased costs to operate the RALC.
The RALC, now over 25 years old, will require significant investment in the coming years to upgrade and modernise this much-loved facility.
Council remains committed to fairness and equity and welcomes feedback on the level to which our broader community wishes to continue supporting this scheme.
Ongoing, recurring expenses required to keep RALC assets, facilities, and systems running efficiently includes (but is not limited to) the following:
- Gas and electricity
- Materials and contractors
- Routine repairs and planned maintenance
- Insurance
- Employee costs, including award increases and higher casual employment costs
- Asset depreciation
Council is seeking feedback on the level to which our broader community wish to continue supporting this scheme with the following discount options proposed:
- 100% discount (free entry - current scheme)
- 75% discount
- 50% discount
- 25% discount
The percentage discount would be applied to the adult cost of entry.
There are currently 1,233 City of Ryde residents registered as part of this scheme (as of November 2025).
Council offers discounts on domestic waste management, annual council rates, cat and dog registration, tree permits and dinghy storage as outlined in our annual fees and charges.
You can provide feedback by completing the online survey, attending a drop-in session to provide your feedback in-person or you can send your feedback via email or post. Return to the Have Your Say page for more information.
Following the Have Your Say period (closing Sunday 22 February 2026), Council will review community feedback received. Feedback will be considered in the preparation of the 2026/2027 Draft Fees and Charges.
The Draft Fees and Charges are anticipated to be considered at the 28 April 2026 Council meeting, ahead of public exhibition.
Council will keep our community updated on the outcome of this decision.
