The sculpture of Scotland's revered poet, commissioned in 1830, is believed to be the oldest in Australia and a former Liberal MP wants it shifted to Melbourne so it can be preserved.

But Corangamite Shire mayor Ruth Gstrein scoffed at suggestions the statue should be moved to the big smoke. And she's not alone.

Polwarth MP Terry Mulder said the statue was one of Camperdown's icons and should be kept in the town.

"It should be restored in Camperdown and could be a tourist attraction during that process," he said.

Burns enthusiast and former Victorian Liberal MP, Gordon Ashley, dated the statue, which stands in Camperdown's botanical gardens, at nearly 180 years old.

Mr Mulder said his former colleague hoped to shift it to Melbourne so the structure could be better preserved.

The noses on both Burns and his dog have been removed and part of the poet's hat is missing.

But Cr Gstrein said while the monument was of state significance, Camperdown was just as much a part of Victoria as Melbourne.

She said the statue had been damaged by vandals on several occasions over the years and the council would soon build a fence to better protect it.

"It's very, very old and it needs to be repaired," Cr Gstrein said.

The mayor said rather than shipping the statue back to Scotland for repairs, it would be more appropriate to source similar Scottish stone and engage an expert Australian stonemason to carry out the work.

The life-size statue was commission about 1830 in Scotland by William Taylor. His son brought the statue to Australia in 1882 and donated it to the Camperdown gardens in 1883.