Some West Australian councils are now considering legal action over their forced merger.

The councils say they are seeking democracy in merger talks, and will resort to legal action against the Local Government Advisory Board (LGAB) if it has to.

A group has formed, calling itself Councils for Democracy (CFD), consisting of representatives from Mosman Park, Nedlands, Claremont and Peppermint Grove.

The CFD says it wants to weigh in on the WA State Government proposals to halve Perth's 30 councils by mid-2015.

The councils' opposition to mergers was strengthened by the recent offer of $15 million in grants and $45 million in loans over three years to pay for changes. But the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) has estimated that those costs will range between $65 million and $100 million, and will drive up the new councils' rates for the next decade.

CFD chairman Ron Norris says the group may play on possible loopholes.

“The basis for any injunction against the board would be the submissions sent by the Local Government Minister Tony Simpson do not satisfy the Local Government Act,” he said.

It is unclear whether a pre-existing piece of litigation against the State Government could stop the efforts to force councils together, but the opponents will further question the changes and their costs in any submissions to the LGAB.

WALGA president Troy Pickard says that the councils will pull out of mergers unless $60 million more funding was provided, but Premier Colin Barnett recently said there will be no money in an upcoming mid-financial year review.

Mr Simpson says he will wait for the LGAB to make its recommendations, expected in July, so that he would know the official number of new councils and their sizes before asking for the extra funds to cover them.

Comment can be made on the mergers at the Department of Local Government’s site until June 26.