"Many Sydneysiders have learnt to skate here and will have incredibly fond memories of the rink,"Dr Gregg said.
"I am upset for our loyal staff,coaches and our thousands of patrons who have turned this rink into one of the best in Australia."
A Change.org petitionhas been launched and by 7am on Thursday had 3400 signatures,and more than 7200 signatures by 11am.
The local member for Ryde,NSW Finance Minister Victor Dominello,also started his own petition,saying he was disappointed to hear the rink would be demolished.
"Growing up in Ryde,I spent many weekends and evenings ice skating with friends and family,"he said.
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Mr Dominello said he wanted"as many signatures as possible"before he presented the petition to the Macquarie Shopping Centre and its owners AMP,and asked them to reconsider their decision.
Ryde Mayor Jerome Laxale,who also has a petition to stop the closure and will be running against Mr Dominello in the upcoming state election,said the rink was"absolutely packed"when he visited recently.
"It's a place of recreation for many families and teenagers and adults in Ryde,it's another piece of open space that we lose,"he said.
"On top of all this,this is a successful business,this guy has been operating it for 40 years,it provides income for him and his family,it provides jobs for young kids ... it’s a successful skate rink that has only just been renovated."
Cr Laxale said while he understood it was a business decision by AMP Capital that would benefit the company and its shareholders,it was state government rezoning of the land - allowing development up to 27 storeys - that had led to the decision to demolish the rink.
In a statement,a spokeswoman for AMP Capital said the company has a redevelopment design"that can accommodate a recreational-sized rink".
"We know how beloved the ice rink is in the local community and its unique contribution to Macquarie Centre’s leisure offerings,"the spokeswoman said.
"We want to continue to offer unique leisure and entertainment attractions for our customers,but as a shopping and entertainment destination first and foremost,we can’t provide a sports facility that is designed for elite athletes and international competitions."
The development application for stage one of the refurbishment has been lodged,with AMP Capital seeking approval for a number of features including almost 500 more parking spaces.