Around 50 Shellharbour residents wound their way from underneath the Windang Bridge to the southern end of Reddall Reserve at the midday rally led by councillor Kellie Marsh.

More gathered on the foreshore of Lake Illawarra for speeches on the proposed merger and to enjoy the family fun day which followed.

Flinders couple Alex and Dianne MacLeod were among those attending the community rally, the second such event in as many weeks.

‘’We lived in Wollongong in the 1970s; Kiama in the eighties and nineties and we moved to Shellharbour in 2000,’’ Mr MacLeod said.

‘’We don’t need an amalgamation of local government. We don’t want Shellharbour money being spent on Wollongong infrastructure.’’

Mrs MacLeod added: ‘’I don’t think we’re talking about an amalgamation – but a takeover. Shellharbour residents will get very little representation – it stinks.’’

Cr Marsh said the rally was a chance for people to show their passion for the city.

‘’It’s totally empowering that people have come out on Valentine’s Day to feel the love for Shellharbour,’’ she said. ‘’Residents are concerned about how a merger would affect their services, their libraries, their pools and their representation.’’

Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba said the city had a unique identity that would be lost under a merger.

‘’Shellharbour City Council has the ability to stand on its own two feet,’’ she said.

‘’Shellharbour has had the same boundaries since 1859 when the municipality was gazetted. It was established as a farming area – unlike Wollongong which was established as an industrial city – and over the generations has maintained its country attributes.

‘’We look at Wollongong the same way as its residents look at Sydney – we go there when we have to.’’

Cr Saliba said the city deserved its own council that advocated for its residents.

‘’There’s a strong view within the community that we should remain independent,’’ she said. ‘’There are seven Shellharbour councillors; under a merged council we’d be lucky to get three representatives for Shellharbour in a council of 13.’’

Cr Saliba urged residents to make submissions to the council boundary review before it closed on February 28.