Two boundary changes are set to be the most significant changes to the way Whangārei residents are represented in their local territorial authority after the next council elections.
Whangārei District Council adopted an initial ward boundary change proposal as part of it's representation review at a council meeting last week.
The review looked at whether councillors were to be elected at large or by ward electors; the number of councillors elected; the names and boundaries for each ward and whether there should be community boards.
Councillors considered seven different scenarios, before deciding on a 'modified status quo' which will go out for public consultation.
Under the proposed new arrangements, a small area which takes in Smeaton Drive, Acacia Drive, Wattle Lane and Toetoe Rd would move from the Bream Bay Ward to the Okara Ward.
A small area including Dip Rd, Georgia Lane, Waipanga Rd and Springs Flat Rd would move from the Hikurangi-Coastal Ward to the Denby Ward.
All other wards, the number of councillors (13) and the way they are elected would remain the same. No community boards would be established.
Councillor Greg Innes said the council wasn't re-inventing the wheels with these changes.
"Essentially what we have is a fine tuning of the current system," Innes said.
The changes are designed to better reflect the communities of interest.
The Dip Rd area has had an increase in subdivisions. The move would better reflect that the community aligns more with the urban Denby ward than the rural/coastal area of Hikurangi-Coastal.
Other changes, such as moving the Snooks Rd area from Bream Bay into Mangakahia-Maungatapere, a shift in the boundaries at Glenbervie and moving the top of Keyte St from Okara to Denby were raised during pre-consultation.
However, the council said those changes would mean the wards did not meet the fair representation rule, which states councillors must represent the same number of people, plus or minus 10 per cent.
Submissions on the planned changes will be open from August 1 to 31.