Ex-members of the Defence Forces with service-related disabilities

Eligibility

Ex-members of the Defence Forces with disabilities who live permanently in NSW and who:

• Are war veterans with disabilities from Australia, New Zealand or from Allied Nations (World War II Allied Nation Defence Forces with reciprocal pension rights with Australia)
• Have been rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) as having a service related disability of 10 per cent or greater, for which they receive a disability pension.

Passes marked Plus Attendant entitle an attendant to travel with the cardholder for free.

Concession fares

Free travel on most services where fares and concessions are regulated by Transport for NSW.

Eligible ex-members of the Defence Forces may also be eligible for subsidised taxi travel under the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme.

Concession fares under MyZone

Under MyZone, concession entitlements remain the same or similar to previous arrangements, although some ticket products or prices may have changed. From 1 July 2011, MyMulti, Family Funday Sunday and the Pensioner Excursion Ticket have been available for use on light rail. These tickets are not sold on light rail and must be purchased before boarding. See the Buying Tickets page . Entitlements and ticket products remain the same on services not covered by the MyZone structure, such as private ferries, monorail and CountryLink services.

For people with an Ex-Members of Defence Forces concession card, concession arrangements will remain the same under MyZone .

Entitlements

Train

Bus

Ferry 

Other

Free - Means this category of beneficiary is entitled to free travel. The user must have a valid entitlement card and produce on request.

General - Concession entitlements are not available on special or premium services, charter services, special event services or tourism services.

Assistance animals - Assistance animals travel free.

1. Eligible beneficiaries who reside outside the CityRail Sydney Suburban and Newcastle Suburban areas are eligible for up to 3 free return trips (or 6 free single trips) per calendar year on CountryLink for journeys within NSW, or the NSW portion of an interstate trip.
2. The fast ferry services operating between Manly and Circular Quay, light rail and monorail services are privately owned and operated services. Any concession benefits or discounted tickets are provided by the operators of these services at their discretion. Check with the operator before travelling. However, as indicated, from 1 July 2011, MyMulti, Family Funday Sunday and the Pensioner Excursion Ticket have been available for use on light rail.
3. Most contracted private ferry services recognise the standard concession entitlements but may have different arrangements, based on their existing contractual obligations. Check with the operator before travelling.

Proof of eligibility

Ex-members of the Defence Forces who are eligible for public transport concessions must hold a valid Ex-Members of the Defence Forces Pass and must use their pass in the automatic gates at rail stations, use validating machines when boarding a bus or ferry or (on services that do not have automated ticket gates or validating machines) show their pass to station staff, the bus driver or ferry crew member. They must also produce the pass at the request of a transport officer to verify their (and any attendant's) entitlement to free travel.

Ex-members of the Defence Forces who live in rural areas need to present their pass to an accredited CountryLink ticketing outlet to book their free entitlements on CountryLink services.

Note: This entitlement is only available to those residing outside of RailCorp's defined Sydney suburban area (bounded by Cowan, Emu Plains, Macarthur and Otford) and the Newcastle Suburban area (bounded by Newcastle, Gosford, Dungog, Muswellbrook, Karuah and road coach route between Fassifern and Toronto). It is an historic arrangement, put in place to provide eligible beneficiaries in rural areas with access to specialised DVA medical facilities.

Ex-Member of the Defence Forces Pass

Where to apply

The Ex-Member of the Defence Forces Pass is issued by RailCorp's Passes and Concessions office.

Download application forms for the Ex-Member of the Defence Forces Pass or obtain a form from the RailCorp Passes and Concessions office, the Department of Veteran Affairs or a regional RSL Sub Branch office.

How long the pass can be used

The pass is valid for 1 year.

Fees

There is no fee for the original pass issue or for a replacement pass.