Legislation enabling the sale of Melbourne's $6 billion port lease will pass parliament this week, Victoria's opposition leader says, but the government won't celebrate until the deal is officially done.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy on Tuesday said the latest amendments still had to go to the party room but he believed both sides were ready to pass the legislation.
"I think we'll get to a resolution this week," Mr Guy told reporters.
Treasurer Tim Pallas is optimistic after "very positive" discussions with the opposition over the 50-year lease.
"I've been optimistic before, though, so we'll continue to work through these matters diligently," Mr Pallas told reporters on Tuesday.
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"It looks like we're all but there - but we're not there yet."
Labor's preference has always been to sell the port lease using legislation rather than sell it direct, without parliament's approval.
The government and opposition were split on compensation for the new owners if a competing port was built before the exiting one reaches capacity.
But in late February they agreed on a 15-year compensation regime.
The government expects to sell the port lease in the early part of 2017 to raise money for suburban level-crossing removals and other infrastructure projects.
