A comprehensive health study has confirmed a cancer cluster associated with firefighters at the Fiskville Training Centre, the Victorian Government says.

The Monash University study examined cancer and death rates linked to the Fiskville site between 1971 and 1999.

It found that firefighters who trained at the facility, west of Melbourne, were "significantly over-represented" in cancer statistics.

Of the 606 people who worked and trained at Fiskville during that period, 69 developed cancer, and 16 have died, the study said.

Premier Daniel Andrews told 774 ABC Melbourne that the report confirmed the link between the Fiskville site and serious illnesses suffered by firefighters.

"That research work confirms beyond any doubt that there is an increased incidence of cancer, things like brain cancer, some forms of melanoma, other types of cancer, deadly types of cancer," Mr Andrews said.

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"There is an over-representation that the report finds is statistically significant, so not one or two, a significant over-representation, among those who spent the most amount of time at Fiskville."

Staff employed at Fiskville full-time developed melanoma and testicular cancer at higher than expected rates, while those employed part-time showed higher than expected rates of brain cancer.

Trainees and staff at the site were regularly exposed to flammable chemicals, combustion, foams and recycled firewater.

Senior management 'should be sacked', union says

The United Firefighters Union has called for senior Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) management to be sacked over the handling of the issue.

Spokesman Mick Tisbury said the organisations had consistently denied there was a problem with the site.

"For two-and-a-half years we've been fighting to get the place shut down," he said.

"For two-and-a-half years we've been fighting to get the truth. The previous government denied there was any problem.

"The current CFA management and the MFB senior management have denied there was any issues.

"This report vindicates the fight that we've had for two-and-a-half years."

Mr Andrews said the rate of cancer among Fiskville firefighters could be termed a "cluster".

"That's a pretty fair way to term it," he said.

"That's a great tragedy. I'm going to get our firefighters and their families the answers they are entitled to."

Diane Potter, the widow of CFA Fiskville whistleblower Brian Potter, said the family was elated to finally be getting answers.

"We were seeing so many friends around us who were either losing partners or someone was sick and dying," Ms Potter said.

"In the two years we lived there between 1978 and 1980 we could count 12 people - and it's just a small community - 12 people that were there with us were now no longer there.

"Brian used to always say, 'there's something about Fiskville, there's something about Fiskville', but unfortunately the CFA didn't want to listen to that."

Firefighter cancer compensation laws

The Government has promised a parliamentary inquiry into the issue and started the process for establishing one late last year.

It has also promised to introduce so-called presumptive legislation to make it easier for sick firefighters to get compensation.

Currently, firefighters who want to access compensation for chemical exposure must prove which chemicals caused their illness.

Both Labor and the Coalition promised legislation to make it easier for firefighters to get compensation before last November's election.

It is expected the legislation will cover 12 specific cancers commonly suffered by firefighters, in line with laws in other states.

The new laws will presume that those cancers were caused by exposure to chemicals during the course of firefighting work, unless it can be proven otherwise.