Cultural Diversity

You can contact Council by phone on 9978 4000.

Council’s business hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am – 5pm.

Correspondence (which must include your name and address) to Council should be forwarded to the General Manager, Dominic Johnson by mail or email:

Mail: General Manager
Mosman Council
PO BOX 211
Spit Junction NSW 2088

Email: council@mosman.nsw.gov.au

Web: www.mosman.nsw.gov.au/contact

Council Rangers can be contacted on 9978 4081.

Council is committed to providing high quality accessible and responsive services for residents, including residents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Council works with other government and non-government agencies providing settlement and other support services to recently arrived migrants, refugees, and longer term residents. Refer to the Community Directory for information about local settlement services and assistance for newly arrived migrants and refugees.

For inquiries by residents with limited or no English, Council has a register of staff who are fluent speakers of languages other than English or can contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 13 14 50 for trained telephone interpreters.

An English Conversation Group is held at the Mosman Seniors Centre. For inquiries contact Council on 9978 4128 or o.strobel@mosman.nsw.gov.au.

Mosman Library Service can also arrange loans of books in languages other than English through the State Library of NSW Multicultural Service. The Library holds a small Literacy Collection suitable for students of English as a Second Language (ESL). This collection includes graded readers, books with CDs and tapes and books with videos and DVDs.

English conversation class – every Thursday 1.30pm to 3pm in the Volunteers Lounge (next to Mosman Meals)

The English Conversation Class is resuming on Thursdays from 8 September 2022 with our teacher Maya. It is a basic access conversation class and is ideal for people who have recently arrived or are needing a bit of help with English.

It is a FREE program but with limited spaces, so bookings are essential through the Community Care team on 02 9978 4128.

To assist in settling in the community, quick reference guides on local services for newly arrived migrants are now available in English and selected community languages. The guides have been produced by the Lower North Shore Multicultural Network with financial assistance from Mosman Council and other lower north shore councils.

Guides in other community languages will follow from the Network.

• Chinese (Simplified) – Migrant Welcome Pack (1.1MB)
• English – Migrant Welcome Pack (732.3KB)
• Farsi – Migrant Welcome Pack (1011.9KB)
• Japanese – Migrant Welcome Pack (1MB)
• Korean – Migrant Welcome Pack (1.1MB)
• Spanish – Migrant Welcome Pack (941.3KB)

Each year Council provides a range of community events to celebrate Harmony Day. This provides an opportunity for residents to celebrate our diverse and harmonious multicultural community, to recommit to the values of respect and goodwill towards our fellow Australians of all backgrounds, and to say no to racism.

Council is proud to support the Racism: It Stops with Me campaign of the Australian Human Rights Commission. Mosman has a culturally rich and diverse community and there is no place for racism.

• Ensure more Australians recognise that racism is unacceptable in our community
• Give more Australians the tools and resources to take practical action against racism
• Empower individuals and organisations to prevent and respond effectively to racism where it may happen.

If you suffer from harassment or abuse based on race or religion, there is support available. For further information, contact the Australian Human Rights Commission or the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board

• Mayor and Councillors: for the names and contact details of elected councillors.
• Council Meetings: Council meets fortnightly on the first and third Tuesday of each month and the Traffic Committee meets every two months.
• Development Applications: the development application process and frequently asked questions.
• Waste and Recycling: outlining Council’s weekly and other regular waste collection services.
• Mosman Library Service: library services, library catalogue and renewal of books.
• Mosman Art GalleryMosman Art Gallery: exhibitions, programs, and events.
• Community Directory: information about local services and programs, including childcare, and sporting, leisure and social opportunities.
• Community: information on Council community services for children (including childcare), young people, older people (including delivered meals services and recreation programs), people with a disability, and volunteer opportunities.
• Recreation: including playgrounds, and sporting facilities.
• New Residents: information and assistance for new residents.
• Mosman Events: listing community events and activities throughout the year.

Links to Australian and NSW Government information in community languages

• Immigration and Citizenship
• Australian Taxation Office
• Information on government financial assistance and employment
• Office of Fair Trading – covers topics such as buying a car, renting and credit.
• The Adult Migrant English Service (AMES) – English language courses for newly arrived migrants.
• State Library – Multicultural Services – information about public libraries & language collections in New South Wales
• Roads and Traffic Authority – Driver‘s Knowledge Test
• Road Users Handbook (PDF files) – in English as well as Chinese, Croatian, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese.