A regional Victorian council says disruptive public behaviour is behind its decision to shift council meetings online.
Latrobe City Council, in southeastern Victoria, will hold its July meeting online because of disturbances at recent meetings.
"The decision to move council meetings online is based on several instances of disruptive behaviour by members of the public attending council meetings," a council spokeswoman said in a statement.
"While council encourages community engagement and values public participation, it is essential to maintain a conducive and respectful environment for all attendees, including councillors, council officers, and community."
The council told AAP it would review the decision in the coming months.
The move comes after a number of disrupted council meetings across the state, including a hundreds-strong protest at a Monash City Council meeting in southeast Melbourne against a proposed drag story time event.
The change is supported by laws passed during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic allowing councils to hold virtual meetings streamed on their websites.
Latrobe is the second Victorian council to take the step in recent months after Yarra Ranges Council closed meetings to the public in April.
Yarra Ranges will open its meetings to the public again on July 11.
