The rising threat of the Greens is forcing the major parties to dramatically rethink their political strategies, with Labor considering moving a key minister from the inner city and the Liberal Party ramping up efforts to safeguard its blue-ribbon seats.

Ten months after the Greens achieved their best result at last year's Victorian election, reviews by the Liberals and the ALP have prompted calls for a new approach, with some senior strategists admitting it is time to accept the party is now a major third force in national politics.

Expected to move up the ladder: Kelly O'Dwyer. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Labor is contemplating finding a safer seat for frontbencher and Brunswick MP Jane Garrett after the Greens secured a primary vote of 40 per cent in her electorate, leaving the emergency services minister on a tiny margin going in to the next state election in 2018.

Party insiders also believe the party could struggle to retain the seat of Richmond – particularly if Labor veteran Richard Wynne resigns before the next poll. Some have all but given up hope of reclaiming the seat of Melbourne (currently held by the Greens' Ellen Sandell), where rising house prices and an influx of middle-class professionals have shifted the political landscape.