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Former Aucklander Mia Bennie fell in love with the South Island in 1996.
After graduating from law school in Dunedin, she moved to the West Coast, and then to Queenstown, with her husband, James.
She loved Queenstown but craved "a bit of lawn space and more of a community feel".
At the time, Mrs Bennie was expecting her first child, Flynn, and the couple decided Arrowtown would be the best place to bring up children.
They bought a home in a "new" part of Arrowtown and soon afterwards Mrs Bennie became aware of the Queenstown Lakes District Council's proposed plan change 29: Arrowtown boundary.
A group of Arrowtown residents decided to encourage people to have a say on what was being proposed.
It was the beginning of a three-year process - public hearings were held in Arrowtown to accommodate the overwhelming number of submitters from the town - which led to the council adopting the recommendations of commissioners in October, keeping the Arrowtown urban boundary tight.
However, even then, Mrs Bennie knew that would not be the end of the matter.
The Boxer Hill Trust, which owns land south of the existing township, lodged an appeal with the Environment Court on December 15.
As a result, she says, the issue has been taken from the community's hands.
"Up until now, I think council ran a pretty good process ... giving people the opportunity to be heard, keeping it reasonably transparent. They have made their decision, so for the community, that shuts that box.
"We have done our part; we have had our say; this is the decision.
"The difficulty with appealing is it opens that box and it's openable for only the people who have the ability to pay for it. Say council decided not to accept the commissioners' recommendations and increase the boundary.
"I don't think there would be many people with the financial ability to appeal it [within the community]."
Mrs Bennie agrees "change is inevitable", but says "change doesn't necessarily mean growth".
"The argument for growth for growth's sake because it's happened in the past, it's ridiculous. You can't just look at Arrowtown. Wakatipu is going through an enormous growth period: Arrowtown, Queenstown, Arthurs Point, Lake Hayes Estate, Quail Rise. We should be looking at how we can be providing for growth in the district ... It may be that growth for the Wakatipu is better provided for in other areas."
However, she contended there was still "plenty of room for growth within Arrowtown's existing boundaries" and did not believe the boundary would make the town "exclusive" and drive young people out.
"I don't think someone is going to be that set on Arrowtown; I think they'll be set on the Wakatipu."
With the Boxer Hill Trust's appeal now lodged, Mrs Bennie said her biggest concern was the matter would be taken out of the community's hands.
"Now it's going through the court process, it will be harder for us to participate because we just won't be able to afford it; it will be harder for us to get the community engaged.
"We spent hours dropping off the leaflets. They [the residents] got scared by the formal process."
The residents' group had decided against forming an incorporated society similar to the Arthurs Point Protection Society, a group of residents who became a party to Environment Court proceedings in July 2009 because of their objection to a decision to grant Totally Tourism resource consent to use a helipad at Arthurs Point.
"I would hope the Arrowtown Village Association will get involved. It's the best existing vehicle to do this.
"It's known by the council; it's got a good relationship with the business association. It seems silly to create another beast."
Regardless of appeals or the outcome of the boundary issue, Mrs Bennie said she expected Arrowtown would be different in 20 years, "because things do change".
"But I hope it retains its essence. It might look different, but I hope it protects its history, heritage and has a community, local feel to it, where you know your neighbours and it's not a sprawling mess of planned development."
