Vic Ombudsman to probe local councils

Complaints about Victorian councils who make important decisions without the community's input have prompted the state's ombudsman to launch an investigation.

The transparency of local government decision-making is being examined amid complaints about councils making important decisions in secrecy.

"Members of the public who complain to my office about council decisions occasionally mention the fact that decisions were made behind closed doors, or in secret," Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass said in a statement on Friday.