Cr West was at the NSW Local Government Conference where he had put forward two motions.

His first call, on Monday, October 12, was to say he was "delighted" to announce his first motion in relation to the need to increase the rebate provided to pensioners on their water accounts, had been passed.

David West is a board member at MidCoast Water and earlier this year discussions on the low level of the rebate set by the State government, and the fact it hasn't increased for some years, prompted Cr West to move a motion to urge the State government to reassess the rebate.

He said he couldn't believe what had started as a conversation with a pensioner, and discussions with MidCoast Water, had now been passed as a motion.

The motion titled 'MidCoast Water Pensioner Subsides' outlined "That the Federal Government acknowledges that the erosion of the subsidy of cost of utilities to those receiving government welfare support due to lack of indexation is placing further pressure on retirees who are struggling to manage financially and in response," the 2015 NSW Local Government Conference's business papers.

"Either directly fund through Centrelink an increase to the pension supplement or former utilities allowance that is sufficient to enable state governments to cause the discontinuance of the present rate subsidy for general rates, water and sewer or increases the funds available including indexation, to enable an increase in the rates subsidy without adding to the burden on local government who are effectively providing a benefit to those qualifying for Centrelink assistance which is in effect a federal government responsibility not state or local."

The note from the conference's council was: "The current system impacts on utilities and their pensioner customers across the country, while impacts may be felt locally, the solution suggested by this motion should be enacted at a federal level."

The second phone call by Cr West to the Manning River Times came on yesterday Tuesday morning, where he was "over the moon" to say the second motion titled "declaration for candidates" put forward by Greater Taree City Council had been passed too.

The NSW Local Government Conference's business papers outlined the "That LGNSW lobbies the Premier to establish a requirement for candidates standing for local government elections to make a declaration they are a fit and proper person to perform the role of an elected representative and declare that they have:

o had no criminal convictions in the past five years;

o have no convictions under the provisions of the NSW Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 or its equivalent in any state in the past 10 years;

o not been declared bankrupt in the past five years;

o not been convicted of an offence under the Corporations Act in the past ten years; and

o never been convicted of an offence against children."

The note from conference's council said "The events of the past four years have highlighted issues before the Independent Commission Against Corruption which have shown some elected members in the State have not been fit to hold the office to which they were elected, and this proposal is aimed at giving the community confidence in local government candidates."

The NSW Local Government Conference is the annual policy-making event for the 152 councils of NSW, associate members and the NSW Aboriginal Land Councils.

Following this moved motions will be reviewed at a State government level.