Barnett lashes councils over rate hikes

Perth's local councils have been lashed by the West Australian Premier for imposing big increases in annual rates.

Several metropolitan councils have hiked rates by at least five per cent, and some as high as eight per cent.

"The rate increases that householders faced, in my view in a number of cases, were excessive," Colin Barnett told 6PR radio on Thursday.

Mr Barnett's comments came after Local Government Minister Tony Simpson told a local councils conference on Wednesday that a cap on rate increases was being contemplated as part of a ministerial inquiry.

"Yeah, they're on notice - no doubt about it," Mr Barnett said.

"A lot of the local government services are run well, but there has been a culture of just increasing the rates with a lack of accountability."

Mr Barnett said details about local council costs, staffing and rate increases should be made public, and he believed they could improve efficiencies.

"Many of these local governments are grossly overstaffed, they pay themselves too much.

"We have CEOs of local governments in metropolitan Perth who get paid well above what the premier of the state does."

He also referred to the state government's failed bid to halve the number of councils under its contentious amalgamation plan, which was put on hold in February after several voted against it.

"They had an opportunity to do the reform themselves, they changed their mind, so big brother is now looking over their shoulder."