A new ‘library of things’ collection has launched in Mosman, giving visitors a chance to explore creative pursuits in technology, textiles and tracking the stars. 
 
Mosman Library Service has unveiled its refreshed Discovery Collection. A Nintendo Switch 2 gaming console, a sewing machine and a full-size telescope are some of the featured items. Robots, movie projectors and many more items are also available for loan from Barry O’Keefe Library. 
 
Council’s Library Services Manager Chris Pigott encouraged people to explore the collection and try the items at home.
 
“It’s a great way for our members to explore a new hobby, hone their tech skills or just try something out for the fun of it,” he said. 
 
Council’s library team also runs the Creation Space, a makerspace lab adjacent to the main library, which has also had a recent refresh. New flooring inside the space, as well as improvements in the podcasting studio and media rooms, is encouraging more visitation. Night-time programming to complement the morning sessions for adults and afternoon hours for kids, is also proving popular. 
 
Mr Pigott said visitor numbers had also increased in the library’s downstairs study space following a refurbishment last year that was funded with a NSW Public Library Infrastructure Grant. 
 
The Local Studies room is also about to undergo a refresh. The space houses archival records, historical information and artefacts and is also used for local studies workshops, exhibitions and meetings.   
 
“Exhibitions and events run by the Local Studies team are among some of the most popular adult programming offered by the library,” Mr Pigott said. 
 
“The update will give the space a more contemporary museum-style look, incorporating a combination of artefacts on display, research spaces and access to archival documents.” 
 
Right across the library, visitation numbers are up, with a 25 per cent increase between April and May. It’s expected more than 250,000 people will pass through the doors in the year to 30 June.
 
Even with all the options and activities on offer, books are still beloved in Mosman. In the past year, more than 256,000 hard copy titles were loaned to members.  
 
People wanting to discover more about what’s on offer are encouraged to call or drop in. A special Open Day event on Thursday 30 July will also highlight what’s on offer. Go to mosman.nsw.gov.au/library or call 9978 4090.   

Council is partnering with a volunteer-led Sharing Shelf initiative to establish a new community food pantry in Mosman. 

The initiative aims to reduce waste by redistributing surplus food that would otherwise go to landfill, while providing free and accessible food to community members.  

The Sharing Shelf has been operating successfully in Mosman through a dedicated group of local volunteers who rescue food from businesses and community donors. 

Through the new partnership, Council will provide infrastructure, a pilot location, and monitoring, with the existing volunteer team managing food collection, stocking, cleaning and community engagement. 

The Sharing Shelf is expected to be installed from mid-July in the laneway opposite Barry O’Keefe Library as an initial three-month pilot. During this period, Council and the volunteer team will monitor usage, community feedback, operational requirements, and the suitability of the location before considering any longer-term arrangements. 

Following recent community consultation, we’re reviewing all submissions and undertaking further analysis to shape a preferred option for the Mosman Masterplan, which will be reported to Council.

An Extraordinary Council Meeting will be held at 7pm on Tuesday 30 June.

To find out more about the masterplan process and next steps, view the latest information update, which explains why the masterplan is being prepared, answers common questions, and outlines what happens next.

You can also register for updates on the Mosman Masterplan. 

Local and federal grant programs are inviting applications from community and not-for-profit organisations to deliver projects that benefit Mosman.

Applications are open for Council’s Community Grants Program, with funding of $500 to $5,000 available.  

Community-led projects, programs and events that strengthen community connection, inclusion, wellbeing and resilience across all ages and backgrounds are eligible. Support will also be considered for key cultural organisations and initiatives that contribute to Mosman’s artistic and cultural landscape. 

Past recipients have included groups and organisations working in disability services, environmental education, early childhood, creative arts, and family and domestic violence support.

Applications are open until 12pm on Monday 29 June. 

An Australia Post Community Grants program is accepting applications from not-for-profit organisations that help locals connect and stay mentally well. 

Grants of up to $10,000 each are available for eligible not-for-profit organisations across Australia, with up to an additional $250,000 in grants allocated for projects supporting mental wellbeing in disaster-impacted areas.  

Find out more and apply before Monday 6 July. 

Pictured: 2025/26 Community Grants Program recipients

Technology-facilitated abuse and the role that workplaces can play in supporting people experiencing family and domestic violence is the focus of an upcoming community forum. 

Mosman Council, working with Mary’s House Services and the Mosman Chamber of Commerce, is hosting the ‘Safe Workplaces, Strong Communities: Domestic Violence’ forum on Monday 15 June, 5.30pm to 7pm, at Allan Border Oval Pavilion. 

The free session is aimed at local business owners and employers and will provide practical insights into how domestic and family violence can impact the workplace, and what employers can do to create safer, more supportive environments for their staff. 

The event will bring together speakers from frontline support services, and technology and legal sectors to discuss issues including coercive control and technology-facilitated abuse. 

Stephen Wilson, CEO of the Protective Group, is one of the panel of professionals. 

"Technology facilitated abuse doesn't discriminate on postcode or wealth,” he said. 

“In fact, we see a direct correlation between rising interest rates in an economic downturn and an increase in domestic and family violence. 

“Out of court settlements and coercive control orders increase." 

Mary’s House Services CEO Yvette Vignando welcomed the community initiative. 

"Domestic and family violence does not stop at the workplace door, and this forum will provide local businesses with valuable insights into emerging issues including technology-facilitated abuse, workplace responsibilities, and practical ways to support employees experiencing violence,” she said. 

“We encourage businesses across the region to take part in this timely and important conversation." 

Council’s Community Services Manager Bob Barr said the aim was to help local businesses better understand and respond to domestic and family violence, providing practical information and increasing community awareness. 

"The forum is part of a broader commitment by our Council to support victim-survivors, strengthen local understanding of domestic violence, and encourage businesses and the wider community to play an active role in recognising and responding to this important issue,” he said. 

“While we recognise there is no single solution to ending domestic and family violence, ongoing education, awareness, partnerships and community support are critical steps in moving closer towards its eradication.” 

A study by Monash and RMIT universities, funded by Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) and the Department of Social Services, found one in two Australians will be victims of technology-facilitated abuse in their lifetimes, and one in four will be perpetrators of such abuse. 

Australian Institute of Criminology research shows that perpetrators of domestic and family violence are increasingly using advancements in communication and surveillance technologies to extend their abuse tactics. 

Register for the Mosman event at trybooking.com/DMFHZ 

As part of its annual weed control program Council will be undertaking broad scale spraying of selective herbicides on its Parks and Reserves to control broad leaf weeds in turf areas during the following periods: 

• 20 July 2026 to 31 July 2026 

If required, a follow up application will also be undertaken:

• 17 August 2026 to 21 August 2026

Council’s Pesticide Use Notification Plan requires that broad scale herbicide spraying be advertised to provide members of the public with the opportunity to avoid contact with herbicide application.

Council will ensure that herbicides are applied to public places in a safe and responsible manner, minimising harm to the community and the environment. All legislative requirements will be met. Relevant Safety Data Sheets will also be available to respond to enquiries.

For more information, please contact Mosman Council on 9978 4000 or view the Pesticide Use Notification Plan.

A resident-led petition on affordable housing and new planning rules is open for signatures via the NSW Parliament website.

The ePetition titled 'Save Genuinely Affordable Housing from New Planning Rule Exploitation' asks the Legislative Assembly to call on the NSW Government to:

• Prohibit the AHB [In-Fill Affordable Housing Bonus] where it results in net loss of low-cost housing
• Ensure new affordable housing is genuinely affordable-capped at 30% of household income, retained in perpetuity
• Introduce location-based limits to the $75 million SSD [State Significant Development] threshold
• Assess infrastructure, amenity and heritage impacts prior to granting density
• Establish a Parliamentary Inquiry to publicly evaluate the AHB's operation

The ePetiton is open until 31 July 2026 and can be accessed via the NSW Parliament website.

Petitions allow members of the public to directly place their issues before the Parliament. A petition helps raise awareness of an issue in the community and lets Members of Parliament know what action the community wants the Parliament to take, but it doesn't compel the Parliament to take action. 

Council resolved at its May meeting to promote the petition through the organisation's communications channels.

Please note: a further update on this matter was published 1 July 2026.

We are investigating a cyber incident relating to a breach of a third-party digital platform used to support the management and delivery of some of Council’s community services.

This incident relates to a third-party system and appears to form part of a broader breach affecting a number of that provider’s customers.

As the incident relates to a third-party software system, it is not impacting other Mosman Council systems which remain secure.

The nature and extent of data that has been accessed and the personal information it may contain is currently under investigation. Once the investigation into the matter is complete we will communicate with relevant individuals of any impact to their personal information.

We acknowledge the importance that people place on their information and are committed to keeping our community updated as we learn more. 

National Volunteer Week will be celebrated from Monday 18 May to Sunday 24 May, with Council recognising the vital contribution of local volunteers under the 2026 theme Your Year to Volunteer.

More than 270 volunteers support Council services across 28 programs, enriching community life and helping residents each day, including long time volunteer Mahika Jaisingh. 

Read Mahika's story, in her own words.

At fifteen, I had no idea how to begin volunteering. My careers adviser, knowing me well, suggested the Mosman Council Seniors Centre. I did not yet appreciate where it would lead or how it would shape me.

I remember that first day clearly. Walking into a bustling office as a teenager was intimidating. Fortunately, I was met with warmth. The other volunteers told me that you do not need experience to volunteer, only heart. Ten years later, I am still here.

My grandparents shaped my passion for volunteering early. My grandmother was an educator who instilled in me the value of learning and giving, she believed that helping others was a privilege. My grandfather was gifted a Google Home, and I spent my summer helping him understand it. It became his companion and a small source of independence. That stayed with me when I later began volunteering.

I started volunteering as a Computer Pal. One of the first women I worked with had recently lost her husband and felt overwhelmed by everyday tasks. As we worked through the basics, her confidence returned. It made me appreciate those I met through volunteering; their stories, humour, and resilience stay with you.

From there, my place within the centre grew gradually. Through Computer Pals, Meals on Wheels, English conversation teaching, and long conversations over table tennis, I began to understand that at times simple companionship matters most. 

Without noticing at first, volunteering has shaped how I communicate, listen, and build relationships with others. Now, as a final year medical student, I recognise how much these quiet skills matter.

What has kept me here is the people, you receive and learn more that you give. The staff and volunteers create a place defined by patience and respect. It remains a privilege to return, and I hope to do so for many years to come. 

More than 1,300 lives lost and 40,000 serious injuries on Australian roads last year is a powerful reminder that road safety is everyone’s responsibility and that road tragedies are preventable.

By slowing down, staying focused and looking out for one another, we can help make our roads safer.

National Road Safety Week, running from 17–24 May, is an annual initiative aimed at raising awareness and encouraging safer choices on the roads. It is a time for all road users to reflect on how they can make their roads safer to act to make a difference.

This week long activation is supported by Mosman Council.