Victorian councils are trying to resuscitate a referendum the Abbott Government says is dead.

They want to see the referendum on constitutional recognition of local government put back on the table, after it was knocked off by the return of Kevin Rudd to the prime ministership last year.

At a recent Municipal Association of Victoria meeting, a majority of councils backed a move by the City of Yarra to push once more for a poll.

Yarra’s motion at the MAV state council called for the referendum to be revived as there had been cross-party support, and because millions have already been spent on campaigns.

While the issue was being debated last year, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss accused the Opposition of setting up a botched referendum.

Critics had argued that the change to the constitution was not well enough considered, and had loopholes including one which would have made dodgy councils harder to sack.

MAV president Cr Bill McArthur says the councils will now come up with a plan to get the debate back onto the political agenda.