Coopers Creek: The remote Southland village that will eventually disappear

Coopers Creek is home to some unique structures, including this miniature stone house. Photo / LDR / Matthew Rosenberg

Invercargill residents living at a remote village inside a city reserve can remain in their homes - but there’s a catch.

Once 35 years pass, those who call Coopers Creek home must pack up and leave, ending what will be more than 100 years of residence by that point.

The cribs in the village, located about 15km from Invercargill, next to Whalers Bay, are “non-conforming” due to the reserve status of the land.

On Tuesday, the council moved that annual licences at Coopers Creek be replaced by a 21-year licence, with rights of renewal to a maximum of 35 years.

In doing so, it looks to have landed on a solution to an issue that has hung over its head since 1992, when Sandy Point Domain gained reserve status.

Cribs have inhabited the area since about 1950 but were allowed to stay on under an annual licence.

There are currently 17 licence holders in the area, and the council met with 15 of those in July to gauge support for proposed changes.

Invercargill Deputy Mayor Tom Campbell said the residents he spoke to were resolute in their desire for a renewable licence in perpetuity.

“In my view, having read everything and listened to people, I don’t think that is deliverable so long as there is a reserve.”

Mana whenua representative Evelyn Cook spoke strongly about the fact a condition of occupancy at Coopers Creek was for short-term stays, saying leaseholders should be aware of limitations to living in the area.

Cook said the council was not only being asked to close its eyes to “non-compliant permanent living arrangements”, but also issue longer leases with a right of renewal.

That didn’t sit well with her because of mana whenua’s vested interest in the area and the fact 35 years was longer than one generation.

Coopers Creek is a small settlement located about 15km from Invercargill city. Those who call the place home do so under an annual licence agreement with the council. Photo / LDR / Matthew Rosenberg

“We are committing our mokopuna’s mokopuna to something over which they have absolutely no input,” she said.

Discussion on the topic lasted almost three hours and included verbal submissions from some residents.

Ultimately, the council landed on the 21-year option with two seven-year rights of renewal.

The recommended approach will be consulted on as part of the Sandy Point Domain Management Plan and requires final sign off by the Minister of Conservation.

A baseline annual licence fee of $1058 was also set, effective from July 2024 with an annual increase from July 2025.

Should licence holders reject the proposed 21-year option, they will default to the status quo of an annual licence.

Coopers Creek got its name from a cooper named Owen McShane who settled there in 1836, making whale oil barrels and cabbage tree rum.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.