The WA Government has removed a conflict of interest rule which local govenrment authorities say totally undermines the amalgamation process.

Members of the high-powered WA Government board in charge of council amalgamations previously could not make decisions relating to their own councils.

For example, board member Shayne Silcox - the CEO of the City of Melville – would gain jurisdiction over parts of the Canning, Cockburn and Fremantle councils in current amalgamation proposals. This means that he could not take part in decisions about these areas.

But WA Local Government Minister Tony Simpson has changed the rules to allow any members to deal with any issue, including those affecting their own councils.

The Opposition says that with one stroke of a pen, Mr Simpson has compromised the Local Government Advisory Board and its decisions.

But Mr Simpson has told Parliament that the change would not matter, because the boundaries have already been decided.

He said he wanted the board to be able to look at the bigger picture, not the details.

“To put the report together... the whole five board members have to sit down as a board and review the whole package,” he told Parliament.

“They do not get involved in the detail, it's about bringing the final report together. The actual conflict of interest is only on the final bit of the outcome.”

Mr Simpson will make a final decision on the mergers after the board reports to him next month.