Just two days after the government announced the plan, about 180 people marched on Terralong Street Tuesday morning, to deliver a 1000-signature petition to state Liberal MP Gareth Ward's office. 

Addressing the crowd, Councillor Neil Reilly said the town would fight any merger.

"Kiama is something special ... we do not want to be a pimple on the bum of the Shoalhaven," he said. 

Council workers formed a large part of Tuesday’s crowd. As they marched, they chanted with residents: "no amalgamations; Kiama stand alone". 

The United Services Union’s southern region manager, Steven Vann, spoke of the pride the workers took in Kiama’s upkeep. "This [the amalgamation] is something we cannot stand back and let happen,” he said. "Where do our rates go if this happens? They go to Nowra. They go to Ann Sudmalis and Joanna Gash. Nowra will look beautiful; do we die on the vine?" 

The crowd found Mr Ward's office unoccupied. The petition was slid under the door and the glass windows were taped with material opposing the amalgamation, to be discovered by office staffers who returned shortly after the protest had dispersed.

Many in Kiama hope the amalgamation will be put to a plebiscite. Resident Peter O’Neill believes the municipality is better equipped than most to resist a merger. 

“Unlike some other councils that are divided, where a lot of people are dissatisfied with the way the council’s run, Kiama council does a pretty good job and residents are pretty happy,” he said. 

“We know we have high rates, but we have a high level of service.”

Councillor Andrew Sloan believes Kiama would have only one or two elected representatives under a merged council. Voicing a concern shared by many at the rally, he expects Kiama would lose out financially if merged with a larger cousin.

"Everything about this place is beautiful. Everyone who comes to town loves it. The standard of service is higher than in the Shoalhaven. There's going to be demand from the greater Shoalhaven to have it as good as Kiama,” he said.

Kiama resident  Peter Cooper said he was skeptical about claims a merger made financial sense.

“The savings won’t eventuate,” he said. “There’ll be more and more people at the top, and less people working. We want services at a local level – people we can talk to.”

Mayor Brian Petchler said he was buoyed by the early show of force on Tuesday and at a parade in Gerringong, Saturday. 

“Keep up the rage,” he told the crowd. 

Resident Kevin Hodgson said widespread opposition to the merger would “bring Kiama together”.

“This is just the start. People in Kiama are going to be come very, very active in the months leading up to this,” he said.