Last updated October 2026
West Invercargill is an inner suburb of Invercargill, New Zealand’s southernmost city and the commercial centre of Southland. It sits inside the Invercargill City Council area, on the western side of the planned urban grid rather than as a separate town.
Ettrick Street is a confirmed street in the suburb, and council records place the Recycle South drop-off at 28 Ettrick Street, West Invercargill.
Daily life here is tied to the wider city, known in te reo Māori as Waihōpai, not to a local town centre of its own. City buses, the central shopping streets and council services are the practical links for anyone living here or passing through.
Official Suburb Facts
- Population (2023 Census)
- About 130, down 6% since 2018
- Land area
- 1.51 km²
- Location
- 1.0 km west of central Invercargill
- Council
- Invercargill City Council
- Neighbouring suburbs
- Appleby, Invercargill, Invercargill Airport, Avenal
- Ward or local board
- None. The mayor and 12 councillors are elected at large for the whole city.
- Getting there
- Local streets, including Ettrick Street. City buses can be flagged at a safe point on a route. Bee Card is used to tag on and off. InterCity coaches serve Invercargill daily from other South Island towns.
Who Lives in West Invercargill
About 130 residents in 50 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.
In West Invercargill
Places and businesses inside the official West Invercargill boundary.
Places
Businesses
About West Invercargill
West Invercargill is part of the inner urban area of Invercargill, not a standalone settlement. The clearest official marker in council material is the address for Recycle South: 28 Ettrick Street, West Invercargill, Invercargill 9812. That places at least part of the suburb on the Ettrick Street side of the inner city, within the ordinary street network rather than on a rural edge.
The city’s Māori name, Waihōpai, comes from the Waihopai River. It may be a form of Waiopai, from wai (water or stream) of Pai. Ngāi Tahu are the iwi associated with Invercargill.
Murihiku Marae, a marae of the Waihōpai Rūnanga branch of Ngāi Tahu, stands in the city and includes Te Rakitauneke wharenui. That marae is a city institution. It is not identified as a facility inside West Invercargill.
European settlement of the town followed the wider Southland story. In 1853 Walter Mantell purchased Murihiku from local Māori, and the region was drawn into the planned Scottish settlement of Otago, then including Southland. John Turnbull Thomson, the chief surveyor, laid out the town.
In 1856 that layout set aside the Town Belt, including the land that became Otepuni Gardens. Many central streets take their names from rivers in Scotland, including Dee, Tay, Tweed, Forth, Tyne, Esk, Don, Ness, Yarrow, Spey, Eye and Ythan. West Invercargill belongs to that planned inner city, not to a later rural locality.
The suburb does not present itself as a destination in its own right. Council guides do not identify a shopping centre, school campus or named reserve under a West Invercargill heading. Shopping for the inner city is centred on Dee Street and Tay Street.
Schooling runs through the Invercargill school network, and the zone for a particular address should be checked with the school or the Ministry of Education, because zones can change. For someone living here, the useful picture is an inner-city address with city-wide services close at hand.
Invercargill City Council describes the city as a place of water and light, with a mild coastal climate, long summer daylight and defined seasons. That city-wide setting is the one West Invercargill shares: flat streets, Scottish-named roads, and ready access to the civic, retail and park network of Waihōpai. It is a place to live in the inner city, not a sightseeing stop of its own.
Getting Around
Invercargill City Council publishes the city bus routes and times. You do not have to wait at a formal stop if you are on the route: a bus can be flagged down, and the driver will stop where it is safe.
To get off, press the bus stop button for the next stop, or tell the driver at the start of the trip if you want a drop-off elsewhere along the route. If you are changing buses, tell the driver which service you are transferring to so they can pass that on.
Fares on the city buses use a Bee Card, a reusable card that you tag on and tag off. School bus routes are listed separately by the council. For travel beyond the city, InterCity runs a daily coach service into Invercargill from other South Island towns.
Route numbers that specifically serve West Invercargill are not named in the council pages used here, so check the published city route map for the stop or hail point nearest to an Ettrick Street address.
Services and Recycling
Recycle South, at 28 Ettrick Street, is the council facility addressed to West Invercargill. It is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4.30pm, and there is no charge for recycling drop-off.
The phone number listed by council is (03) 214 6188. It is a recycling centre, not the city’s main transfer station. Rubbish disposal, where charges apply, is handled at the transfer stations council lists separately.
Other everyday council services sit in the wider city rather than on a West Invercargill high street. Payments and council counter services are at Te Hīnaki Civic Building, 101 Esk Street.
The public library, pools, cemeteries and the city bus network are also council services used across the urban area. For a small inner suburb without its own retail strip, those city facilities are the practical amenities.
Near West Invercargill
Just outside West Invercargill, within 5 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Businesses
Where to Learn More
Invercargill City Council: About Invercargill: council introduction to Waihōpai, the southernmost city and commercial hub of Southland.
Invercargill City Council: transfer stations and recycling: address, hours and no-charge drop-off details for Recycle South on Ettrick Street.
Invercargill City Council: buses: city routes, Bee Card fares, school buses and the InterCity coach link.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is West Invercargill part of Invercargill?
Yes. It is an inner suburb of Invercargill, also known as Waihōpai, and it is in the Invercargill City Council area.
Does West Invercargill have its own council ward?
No. Invercargill City Council elects a mayor and 12 councillors at large for the whole city, not by suburb ward.
Which street is confirmed in West Invercargill?
Ettrick Street. Council gives the Recycle South address as 28 Ettrick Street, West Invercargill, Invercargill 9812.
Is there a recycling drop-off in the suburb?
Yes. Recycle South at 28 Ettrick Street takes recycling from Monday to Friday, 8am to 4.30pm, with no charge for drop-off.
How do the city buses work?
You can flag a bus at a safe point on its route, pay with a Bee Card, and ask the driver about a transfer or a drop-off along the route. Check the council route list for the service nearest your address.
Where is the main shopping?
The city’s main shopping streets are Dee Street and Tay Street. Council guides do not identify a separate shopping centre inside West Invercargill.
Which schools serve the suburb?
Schooling is through the Invercargill school network. Enrolment zones can change, so check the Ministry of Education or the school before relying on a zone for a particular address.
What is the Māori context for this part of the city?
The city name is Waihōpai, from the Waihopai River. Ngāi Tahu are the iwi associated with Invercargill, and Waihōpai Rūnanga is the local rūnanga. Murihiku Marae, with Te Rakitauneke wharenui, is in the city.
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Explore Invercargill only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and West Invercargill is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.