The future of the reforms – which would create Fire Rescue Victoria and make the CFA a standalone volunteer organisation – remains uncertain, and Premier Daniel Andrews said the government was “examining all of its options”.

The return of a crossbench MP from sick leave would mean the government does not have the numbers to pass the legislation.

Speaking in Bendigo last week, Mr Andrews said the growing “demand pressure” on volunteer brigades was “unfair”.

“We... put forward a plan of reform so that the CFA can be what it was always supposed to be - a purely volunteer outfit, one that is run by volunteers and run for the local communities that they are members of,” he said.

“These reforms are about basically acknowledging that systems built in the 1950s are not fit for purpose in the 21st century.

“If you look at the growth you see in a city like Bendigo, or in the outer suburbs of Melbourne... there does come a point when it starts to become unfair to expect volunteers to be able to service the sorts of demand that some of our growing regional cities and our outer urban fringe is seeing.

“That’s why Fire Rescue Victoria and a purely voluntary CFA is the right policy to take us forward.”

Related: Bendigo fire station ‘bursting at the seams’

The bill failed to pass after two Liberal MPs asked to be paired for the vote so they could attend Good Friday services, only to emerge and vote on the legislation.

Shadow emergency services minister Brad Battin said the CFA would “not look like a standalone organisation” under the changes.

“I hope it’s not resolved by the election. The LNP and Labor should be putting forward their best model for fire services and allowing the electorate to vote on it,” he said.

“Our version is to have a royal commission into fire services and to separate the presumptive legislation.

“Volunteers just want the respect, they want the flexibility to be able to provide surge capacity.”

Mr Battin said he was concerned that CFA management would be filled by Fire Rescue Victoria, that there would be no new co-located stations, and that volunteer surge capacity would be impacted.

A spokesperson for emergency services minister James Merlino said all CFA management, such as regional managers, would answer to the CFA’s chief fire officer and there would be no operational changes. He said co-located stations could still be established under the reforms.

The bill is tied to presumptive legislation which allows firefighters to claim compensation for certain cancers without having to prove that firefighting caused their cancer.