The WA Local Government Association may ask the State Government to help councils cover the cost of checking contaminated sites.

Currently, local governments and have to bring in private consultants to audit their investigations, assessments and remediation surrounding contaminated sites.

The Deputy Mayor of Bunbury Brendan Kelly says contaminated sites - which include formal and informal tips as well as other waste and refuse sites - are a major issue for local government in WA.

Mr Kelly says he will ask the WA Local Government Association to push for the Department of Environment Regulation to do the auditing.

He says the base cost of the audits it too much, let alone the cost of remediation if something is found to be severely amiss.

The WA Local Government Association did make a submission to the Department of Environment Regulation’s Contaminated Sites Act Review following some community consultation.

The Association says it highlighted that all contaminated sites information should be made freely available and that the State Government should accept responsibility for the remediation and management of sites that became contaminated due to inadequate historical legislation or ownership.