Mosman Masterplan

PLANNING FOR MOSMAN'S FUTURE

Mosman Council is committed to providing its share of homes under the National Housing Accord and delivering well-planned, sustainable housing outcomes.

The NSW Government’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy (LMR) is one of several tools introduced that aim to speed up housing delivery.

In Mosman, the LMR has sparked a rush of developer interest, but this one-size-fits-all approach has created community concern about pressures on infrastructure, local character, heritage and the environment.

In response, Council has worked collaboratively with the State Government, securing agreement to prepare a long-term strategic Mosman Masterplan.

The number of dwellings in any new masterplan must be equivalent to or greater than the capacity under the LMR. However, the community-led masterplan approach will develop local controls and redistribute density with consideration of Mosman’s unique urban character.

Council is preparing a placed-based masterplan so future growth better reflects local priorities, infrastructure needs, and importantly respects Mosman’s unique character.

A masterplan guided by community input means we can be more thoughtful about where and how new housing is located – making sure it lines up with transport, schools, open space, and services, while protecting what people value about Mosman, including its scale, design, heritage, environment, and distinctive feel.

This place-based approach will aim to deliver housing that’s well integrated, sustainable, and shaped by community input, not a one-size-fits-all model.

We’re now inviting feedback on seven masterplan principles and two options – ‘low and wide’ and ‘high and narrow’.

Your input at this early stage will help shape the final Mosman Masterplan.

MASTERPLAN PRINCIPLES

Our place-based masterplan is guided by key principles that reflect community values and aspirations.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all model, it looks closely at things that shape daily life here and local details that make Mosman unique – from our streets and buildings to heritage, landscape, how people move around, and environmental considerations.

These seven masterplan principles will guide how decisions are made in developing the masterplan.

	Protect and enhance the established character The masterplan will retain and strengthen the distinctive qualities of Mosman’s character – scale, design, views, trees, landscape setting, heritage. New development should reinforce, not dilute, local identity through context-led design.
	Celebrate heritage The masterplan will ensure heritage significance is protected through appropriate curtilage, setting and visual relationships, including controls for setbacks, height transition, and interface design where higher density occurs nearby.
	Protect local amenity and liveability The masterplan will safeguard public and private amenity by managing key impacts such as overlooking, overshadowing, wind, traffic, noise, and loss of tree canopy.
	Bring the community on the journey We’ll make it easy to stay informed, have your say, and see what changes as a result, especially in areas with the biggest change.
	Protect the environment Mosman's environmental assets are foundational to its identity and liveability. The masterplan will protect and enhance sensitive landscapes and set strong environmental standards for new development.
	Advocate for community needs and infrastructure The masterplan will be informed by community infrastructure planning aligned to projected growth, identifying what is needed, when it is needed, and where it should be located. It will also advocate for public investment and delivery of this infrastructure so growth supports genuine community benefit.
	Leverage value to deliver opportunities for all By capturing a share of the value created through increased, development potential, the masterplan will reinvest this uplift into essential community outcomes - such as new open spaces, local infrastructure, and affordable housing.

THE LMR AND OPTIONS

Mosman Council has developed two masterplan options as alternatives to the LMR, and this consultation is seeking community feedback on these options:

• Option 1: Low and wide
• Option 2: High and narrow

The key difference between the options is the trade-off between building height and the amount of land affected by change.

Each option is designed to deliver the same overall number of new homes required under the LMR.

In simple terms, the taller the buildings, the smaller the area needed to accommodate that growth; lower buildings generally require a wider spread of change. This principle has guided the development of the two options.

Option 1: Low and wide

A reduced area of change with housing redistributed within and around the local centre. Emphasises more gradual height transitions and a balanced response to surrounding neighborhood character.

Option 2: High and narrow

A tightly focused approach that concentrates higher uplift along the Military and Spit Road corridor and at Spit Junction. Concentrating change in a reduced area that leaves more of Mosman untouched.