Melville mayor Russell Aubrey is reportedly lobbying hard against plans to divide his city and merge most of it with Fremantle and East Fremantle.

The Herald understands the Barnett government plans to put the entire suburb of Leeming into whatever merged entity ends up with the City of Canning.

Leeming is split between Canning and Melville, with the Melville portion a signifcant voter base for the mayor. Losing it could affect any plan Mr Aubrey has to contest the mayoralty of the new “Melmantle” super-council.

Through a media bodyguard the mayor said it was “premature to speculate about this issue”.

by DAVID BELL