A group has been formed comprising community members who want to maintain their power to veto local council mergers.

The action group has come together after moves were announced to cut a piece of legislation, which would allow the West Australian government to storm ahead with plans to merge Perth’s thirty councils down to fourteen.

The so-called ‘Dadour amendment’ has been in legislation since the 1970s, but has been flagged for removal ahead of the sweeping reforms for Perth.

Dozens of people have now signed up to the ‘Dadour Group’, after a town meeting in Shenton Park this week. The group will push for the community powers to remain, with members willing to stand up for community identity and democracy.

“When you give citizens a right to vote, you can't just take it away,” said resident Malcolm Mummery

“We're not particularly for or against amalgamations, we're just saying if a local community is strong enough to say we want to stay the way we are, then they should be able to have a say in it,”

“That's the guts of what we're about.”

“Lots of people were against amalgamations and some are for them, but nobody said "Hey why don't we get rid of that vote, what a silly thing giving us a vote, why would our voice be of any significance?” Mr Mummery explained.

The Dadour Group will take its campaign to Liberal party members and community members in general.