Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has revealed the organisation will call for an intervention by an industrial umpire if CA and the ACA cannot reach an agreement by next week.
Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, Sutherland said he hopes a resolution will be found early next week, otherwise independent arbitration is his preferred method to deliver an outcome and ensure the Ashes go ahead later this year.
"We have today discussed with the ACA in that regard," Sutherland said.
"Hopefully ... by early next week we can have this situation resolved.
"I think what we have put forward is a fair-minded solution.
"There is no doubt there is a bit of an impasse here," he said.
"But I believe that with positive intent and the right people in the room we can get this sorted in the next few days.
"Failing that, we're prepared to say that we put the issues to arbitration. We accept the umpire's decision and the game goes on."
Sutherland also expressed the possibility of short-term contracts to allow the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, as well as the upcoming ODI series against India to go ahead.
The CA CEO said the proposal for short-term contracts until the new MOU was complete had been put to the ACA, who are yet to respond.
