Local government councillors in Western Australia face tougher new requirements around the reporting of gifts and contributions under new legislation that comes into effect today.

The rules follow a damning report released by the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) in October last year, that found Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi had engaged in serious misconduct by failing to disclose tens of thousands of dollars in gifts and overseas travel.

Ms Scaffidi is still facing an ongoing investigation by the Department of Local Government in relation to the disclosure of those contributions.

Previously, elected members and senior staff were only required to disclose gifts and contributions to travel annually and not online.

The new legislation means staff need to disclose the information within 10 days and make it easily accessible to the public on the council's website.

In a statement, Local Government Minister Tony Simpson said the new measures would bring local government in Western Australia into the modern age.

"The Western Australian community rightly has high expectations when it comes to the conduct of elected members," he said.

"I am pleased this Government is taking steps to ensure members of the community can hold their council to account."

Western Australian Local Government Association president Lynne Craigie said the association supported the legislation but the rules should apply to state government politicians as well.

"We don't have any opposition at all to declaring what you receive in the way of gifts ... it enables everyone to see what you have and haven't had," she said.

"We have always declared it, it's just now there are tighter timeframes around it.

"My only concern would be that ... I think that it should be across all political levels and everyone should have to declare what they receive."

Under the Members of Parliament Act 1992, West Australian ministers are required to disclose the details of any person who made financial or other contributions to their travel in an annual return.