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Participation Data and What It Tells Us About Local Fitness Culture

Council figures released this week show membership jumps at Central Coast venues that track shifting daily routines for thousands of residents.

By Central Coast Sport Desk · Published 20 July 2026

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This article was written by AI from the linked sources and was not reviewed by a journalist before publishing. The Daily Central Coast is part of The Daily Network and follows our reasonable editorial care.

Participation Data and What It Tells Us About Local Fitness Culture — AI illustration

Central Coast Council data for the 2025-26 financial year records an 18 percent rise in paid memberships across public fitness facilities, with total active users reaching 47,200 by 30 June.

The increase arrives as residents adjust schedules after two years of variable work patterns and follows the council’s January decision to freeze entry fees at 2024 levels for all community centres.

Venues driving the numbers

At the Gosford Olympic Pool on Mann Street, lap-swim passes sold 9,400 in the past twelve months, up from 7,800 the year before. Staff attribute part of the lift to the new 6 am weekday lane sessions that opened in March. Further north, the Wyong Sports Complex on Alison Road added 1,200 new gym users after installing 24-hour access in February, with swipe-card records showing peak use between 5:30 pm and 7 pm on weekdays.

Both sites sit inside the council’s Active Central Coast program, which also runs free Saturday boot camps at Terrigal Beach Reserve and Kincumber Oval. Program logs show 3,150 individual attendances across those two locations since the start of 2026.

What the figures indicate

The participation report, published on the council website on 8 July, breaks down users by age band and notes the strongest growth in the 35-49 group, where numbers climbed 24 percent. Average weekly visits per member now sit at 2.4, compared with 1.9 in the prior year. Council officers link the change to extended opening hours and the addition of child-minding at both Gosford and Wyong sites.

Residents wanting to act on the data can check the council’s online portal for current availability at the two main centres or sign up for the next free session at Terrigal Beach Reserve, which begins at 7 am on Saturday 12 July.

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