Victorian MPs and councillors believe corruption is a problem in the state, especially among elected officials.

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission sent out a survey in May to 758 elected representatives across Victoria, but only 159 people responded.

Of those who did the survey, 73 per cent of councillors and 68 per cent of MPs think corruption is a problem, while most agree it is an issue among elected officials.

Nepotism, breaches of professional boundaries, misuse of resources and collusion were identified as common risks facing councillors and MPs.

Councillors were more likely to have personally observed corruption, with 64 per cent saying they saw or suspected a breach of professional boundaries in the past year, compared with 39 per cent of MPs.

Local government members also appeared to be more aware of how to report corruption (88 per cent), compared with state MPs (61 per cent).

IBAC executive director Linda Timothy said the commission had work to do in educating political representatives about its role and functions.

“If our elected officials are unsure what corruption looks like, then it can go unreported,” Dr Timothy said.

It comes after the commission released its Operation Sandon report, which found two Casey councillors accepted almost $1.2 million in payments for supporting a property developer’s interests.

– AAP