Premier Daniel Andrews expects the CFA board to sign a controversial pay deal within days but his minister in charge of firefighters still opposes some details.
Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett put her career on the line to stop the deal being pushed through cabinet on Monday.
On Tuesday, Mr Andrews said he expects the deal to be signed soon, with some minor changes.
He's brought in Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley to oversee disputes with the United Firefighters Union once the deal is done.
"Some work needs to be done over the coming days around issues of enforcement, for instance how would Mr Lapsley's oversight actually work in practice," Mr Andrews told reporters.
"(He'll be) an honest broker, sitting above the agreement, monitoring it, checking what it means on the ground as it's actually rolled out."
Ms Garrett hasn't retreated from her public opposition to some proposed clauses.
And the CFA rejected a proposed agreement on Monday because it believed some clauses were unlawful.
The volunteer-based organisation opposes a "consultation clause" it fears will hand the union a veto over management decisions.
But union secretary Peter Marshall says a dispute resolution officer position has been included to give some ground to the CFA.
He said despite the bitter dispute he was prepared to work with Ms Garrett and the CFA once the agreement was signed.
The CFA board and new CFA chief executive Lucinda Nolan are understood to be set against signing a deal that hands any sort of veto to the union.
Ms Garrett refused to confirm if she had threatened to resign if the deal was forced through.
"I'm here to make sure we get an outcome that everybody can live with," Ms Garrett said.
When asked how she felt about putting her career on the line, the minister said: "I've had an interesting time the last little while, but I'm pleased to be here today".
Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings said the CFA's concerns had been addressed in 40 Fair Work Commission hearings over the past year.
"I encourage them to be better informed, to be better engaged, and to work through these issues," Mr Jennings told reporters.
More than 800 union firefighters rallied on the steps of Parliament on Tuesday calling on the government to "do the right thing" and sign the deal.
The proposed agreement itself hasn't been released to the public.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has backed CFA volunteers and promised to change the Fair Work Act to support them if his government is re-elected in early July.
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