The long-running and toxic CFA industrial dispute could be drawing to a close with a plan to radically reshape firefighting boundaries.

There has been growing speculation that Labor will overhaul the state's fire services in the coming weeks by redrawing the MFB and CFA boundaries and creating two new firefighting services: one wholly volunteer and one paid-only service.

Creating two separate services would allow the workplace deal for paid CFA firefighters to be approved, because laws rushed through by the Turnbull government to "protect" volunteers could be bypassed. 

The workplace deal was vehemently opposed by the former CFA board, minister Jane Garrett and the volunteers association. They argued it handed too much power to the United Firefighters Union – the United Firefighters Union argue the EBA enhances firefighter and community safety. 

A map of the four MFB zones in Melbourne. Photo: MFESB

The standoff over the deal, which cost Ms Garrett and the board their jobs, and heaped political pain on Premier Daniel Andrews, has caused tensions between volunteers and paid firefighters and sent morale plummeting. 

Asked directly if the government would split the services and redraw boundaries, Emergency Services Minister James Merlino said the government was "looking at a range of options to end this dispute". 

"The government's highest priority is to the safety of all Victorians and ensuring that our fire services can meet the needs of our fast growing state," Mr Merlino said. 

It has been more than nine months since Premier Daniel Andrews said the dispute "had to come to an end and I ended it".

The need for some type of change has the backing of the United Firefighters Union, as well former Tasmanian emergency services minister David O'Byrne who completed a review of Victoria's firefighting services last year.

Writing in The Age Mr O'Byrne said that "service delivery needs to be appropriate for the community that is being served. Victoria's fire services model, with its patchy mix of volunteer, career and integrated staffing, is outdated."

He said an overhaul would end the "divisive political attacks" and improve morale, which has suffered as a result of tensions between paid and volunteer firefighters.

Mr O'Byrne has also taken aim at Opposition Leader Matthew Guy who said a Coalition government would sack the CFA board if they disrespected volunteers. 

"It is disappointing that the industrial politics continues to overshadow the real challenges of community service delivery and organisational modernisation, which my review focused on and which Victoria still needs to address. Attacking the workforce and their union is not the answer," he said.

Much of the division has been caused by politicking over the controversial workplace deal for paid CFA staff, with volunteers fearing a union takeover and the state opposition painting the Premier's support as payback for help at the election.

The union has maintained the workplace deal improves firefighter and community safety.

With Melbourne's booming population and the risk of fires increasing, Mr O'Byrne says there is urgent need to reform to meet fresh challenges.

Currently the CFA services the vast majority of Victoria, with all but a small area around the city serviced by the fully paid MFB. That leaves built up suburbs like Springvale, Eltham and Werribee in the CFA region with a mix of paid and volunteer staff.

The union and former MFB head Adrian Nye are supportive of boundary changes. And Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley has said the current situation is "not obvious to the community". 

The vocal Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria is opposed to any changes, fearing it would undermine the critical work volunteers play in the community and the surge capacity the tens of thousands of CFA firefighters provide during major bushfire emergencies.

VFBV chief executive Andrew Ford recently told members that it had not been involved in any discussions about speculated changes.

"Even the person on the street knows it would be reckless for any proposal that erodes Victoria's volunteer fire and emergency service capacity to be contemplated, especially if this is driven by political or industrial motivation," he said.