It was a quote borrowed by Arrowtown resident and Queenstown Lakes District Council councillor John R. Wilson from a submitter, but summed up the situation in the tiny town perfectly.
Mr Wilson is urging Arrowtown residents to get involved in the consultation process for two plan changes, both relating to urban boundaries, which are out for submission.
The first, Plan Change 29, relates specifically to the Arrowtown township, seeking to fix boundaries, which would effectively contain Arrowtown's growth within the existing residential boundary.
The second, Plan Change 30, is a district-wide urban boundary document, addressing what would happen if a developer wanted to create a subdivision outside any area's boundaries.
"[Plan Change 30] has got the real guts in it.
"It's making sure that we don't get ad hoc development out in the countryside . . . people can't just come in and say, `Look, we'll build this here.'"A bit of that has gone on in Queenstown," Mr Wilson said.
There were two flyers being circulated around homes in Arrowtown relating to Plan Change 29 - "a group of concerned Arrowtown residents" circulating one and the Arrowtown Village Association (AVA) circulating the other.
The residents group conducted a poll in the town last year, asking residents if they wanted to see the town expand beyond its boundary - 97% of the 420 respondents said no.
The latest flyer is again urging residents to have their say.
"You can be sure people who want Arrowtown to expand will make submissions opposing Plan Change 29, so if you want your village to stay the same, it is vital you make a submission [in support]."
Mr Wilson said it appeared there was going to be a "good level" of response to the issue - in his opinion one of the biggest issues that had faced Arrowtown for 20 years.
"If [residents] don't put their submission in, they miss out completely.
"If they [do not make a submission], they lock themselves out from speaking even if they change their mind.
"Most people I've talked to want very tight boundaries.
"My advice as a councillor is for goodness sake read the plan change [and submit].
"I'm very, very keen that Arrowtown doesn't lose its character.
"All the councillors that have come before me have worked on trying to protect its history.
"As one of the submitters said, if it gets surrounded by urban sprawl, it's going to become like a poached egg; nice centre but pretty runny on the outside."
Submissions on both Plan Change 29 and Plan Change 30 close on October 9.
• The Key Parties
It's an issue which could divide a town - should Arrowtown grow, or should it stay the same? It's almost certain Arrowtown will eventually have to increase its boundaries. The question is, should it increase them now? Plan Change 29, which addresses that very issue, is out for public consultation, with submissions closing on October 9. Tracey Roxburgh looks at some of those encouraging residents to have their say.
- Mia Bennie - Concerned residents group
Mrs Bennie is part of a group of Arrowtown residents who last year undertook an informal survey, seeking feedback on the Arrowtown boundary.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council released a document proposing to formalise Arrowtown's residential boundary and held drop-in sessions seeking feedback.
To raise awareness, the group conducted an informal poll in the town, asking if residents wanted to see the town expand beyond its current boundary.
There were 420 responses - about 30% of Arrowtown's population - with 97% of respondents saying they did not want the boundary extended.
Mrs Bennie said "now is the time" to make those submissions formal.
"Now the council has formally advertised it, it's really important.
"People just didn't know that the council had publicly advertised it. A lot of people thought that first round of consultation . . . was the formal submission part, they didn't realise now is the time. We just wanted to get people involved."
Mrs Bennie said the group was not promoting "no growth", but there were enough sections and undeveloped areas within the existing boundary to allow for growth.
"We're not promoting no growth - but just because there is pressure for Arrowtown to grow doesn't mean it should."
- Jim Feeley - Arrowtown Village Association
Last night, the AVA met to vote to decide if it should submit for two boundaries or not.
The association voted to adopt a neutral stance in its submission, as it considered the issue had become emotive, and it would like to have a say in future discussions as an interested party.
Mr Feeley said the AVA supported the proposed boundary, but proposed an extension of Arrowtown's urban boundary - creating an "outer boundary".
"We agree with the boundary they have proposed in Plan Change 29 but we think it should be extended to the southeast, between Centennial Ave and McDonnell Rd as far as the Arrowtown Golf Course.
"There would be rules in place to protect the road line and escarpment.
"What we're proposing is the current urban boundary proposed by the council is the inner boundary, and the outer extension is the outer boundary."
Mr Feeley said Plan Change 30 worked on the basis that the inner land had to be used up before development could take place in the outer boundary.
"Although the council planner is talking about a 20-year term, we don't think the Arrowtown boundary will last that long.
"It might only be five or 10 years.
"We're saying why not put in an outer boundary right now . . . any progression would be down to the southeast."
The AVA suggested rules for the use of the outer boundary, which would include a setback of 30m along Centennial Ave and a 50m setback along McDonnell Rd.
There would be no building on the escarpment facing McDonnell Rd or the northern face facing Centennial Ave.
The AVA also proposed building on top of the ridgeline would also be a minimum of 4000sq m.
- Arrowtown South
It is understood a proposed private plan change is close to being lodged for Arrowtown South, which would see 30ha of rural land rezoned to residential, allowing for development.
Arrowtown South comprises a group of eight landowners - the Adamson, Harrington, McKay, Mahon, Monk, Read, Richardson and Ridley families.
The area is bound by McDonnell Rd, Centennial Ave and the Arrowtown Golf Course.
The proposed plan change, if successful, would allow for a residential development with the capacity for 215 houses on 17ha of the land.
The remaining land would be left as green spaces, with walkways established.
- Queenstown Lakes Mayor Clive Geddes
Following the formal submission process, the QLDC will hold a resource consent hearing, giving submitters the opportunity to speak to their submissions - provided they requested to be heard.
Commissioners would then make a decision on Plan Change 29 and 30, which would be forwarded to the council for adoption.
Mr Geddes said once the council had adopted the recommendations, the plan changes would become part of the district plan - a living document.
Mr Geddes said at "any time in the future" any community could choose to change elements of the district plan - "but they have to follow that process".
The urban boundary issue had arisen from 20/20 workshops, where people wanted urban growth kept in urban boundaries "so town remained town, and country remained the country".
Mr Geddes said an urban boundary was proposed for Queenstown, one had been adopted as part of the Wanaka Structure Plan, but was not yet finalised, and the Cardrona Valley also had one.
