The Victorian government is hoping amendments to its controversial fire reforms will be enough to sway the crossbench into supporting the changes.
The CFA chief officer will get more power and greater support will be given to volunteers as part of the changes the Labor government is willing to make.
"Everyone agrees that our outdated fire services need to be reformed, and that is why we are taking the action we are," Emergency Services Minister James Merlino said in a statement.
"We want to modernise our fire services while also giving volunteers more support, more funding and more independence."
Under the reforms, the CFA would become volunteer-only and merge paid firefighters with the MFB to create a larger metropolitan service, Fire Rescue Victoria.
The proposed amendments include giving the CFA chief fire officer veto powers on inter-service secondments, and allowing external recruitments.
An independent monitor will be created to oversee the proposed changes and keep an eye on volunteer training and funding.
The role of volunteers will also be enshrined in the laws, with an obligation for both fire services to work together, and ensure volunteer brigades are given more support to effectively respond to fire before any fire boundaries are changed.
The laws have stalled in the upper house after a parliamentary inquiry was split along party lines.
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