VICTORIAN Liberal and Nationals MPs have swapped a flash Mornington Peninsula resort for Wodonga to brainstorm before the parliamentary year starts next week.
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The conservatives were to gather at the Moonah Links golf resort in Melbourne's backyard but Liberal leader Michael O'Brien changed the venue to Wodonga to support the fire-hit North East.
"We shifted our conference because we thought it was really important to send a message to Victoria and to the country that the North East is open for business," Mr O'Brien said.
"We wanted a chance to meet people who have been affected by the bushfires up here, listen to them and understand how we can help them to bounce back."
All but one of the 38 Coalition politicians have joined 11 staffers for the two-day forum at Wodonga's Huon Hill hotel, with a dinner at the Tallangatta football club on Wednesday night and a number to visit Corryong on Friday.
He said farmers had made it clear much help was needed with fencing and feed.
"Getting feed urgently to those farmers is important, but the other thing is fencing," Mr O'Brien said.
"We've been demanding that the government step up and help with the cost of repairing fencing, where it is bordering public land.
"Belatedly the government has come out today and said that they'll contribute 50 per cent."
Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes said in addition to that deal, the government will pay all repair costs for fences on private land damaged by agency machinery involved in tackling the fires.
Mr O'Brien said he also wanted a parliamentary sitting in the North East to allow all MPs to learn firsthand about the impact of the fires.
But he has rejected Premier Daniel Andrews' move to have the Inspector General for Emergency Management Tony Pearce investigate this season's fires.
He argues Mr Pearce is compromised as his advice to the government on burn-offs was at odds with recommendations from the Black Saturday Royal Commission.
Mr O'Brien wants a cross party parliamentary inquiry as that "would give the public the opportunity to give evidence, it would give people affected by these fires the chance to have their voices heard".
