More job cuts in the Australian public sector, with reports that the Bureau of Statistics will lose up to 100 workers and another 200 Environment Department staff will go too.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics told workers on Wednesday that a voluntary redundancy program has been set up, as higher-ups push to meet new efficiency dividends aimed at saving $50 million over the next three years.

Reports say some ABS program will be cut, but they have not yet been identified. Management representatives have said that 70 to 100 redundancies will be required to meet the cost-cutting goals.

“While there has been good work by all staff to identify productivity and cost saving measures, these will not be enough. The gap will need to be addressed through work program reductions,” Acting chief statistician Jonathan Palmer told the Bureau’s 3300 workers this week.

Community and Public Sector Union deputy national president Alistair Waters said the job losses will only increase the burden on remaining staff.

“Good data is vital to good government decision-making and these cuts put that at risk,” he said.

“These cuts aren't taking place because there is nothing for staff to do... on the contrary there is plenty of work for them. We are deeply concerned that this will see reductions to the statistical services that ABS provides to the Australian community.”

Meanwhile at the federal Environment Department, recent moves to cut programs and approval processes have led to the expected announcement of further job cuts.

The departmental budget will be cut by up to 25 per cent over the next four years, with reports that staff numbers would follow in proportion. That scale of cuts would see last year’s 2300 staff number just 1700 in coming years.

Rumours are swirling of voluntary redundancies on the way for Environment Department staff; a second round of cuts after 143 jobs were lost via redundancies last year.

The department's environmental assessment division may soon consist of little more than a single person rubber-stamping approvals awarded by state governments, as the federal office feels the full weight of the Coalition government’s fervent attacks on ‘green tape’.

CPSU deputy secretary Beth Vincent-Pietsch has told Fairfax Media outlets that the union knows the axe will drop, and is waiting to find out how deeply.

“We know that jobs are on the line but what we don't know is how many and over what period of time,” Ms Vincent-Pietsch said.

“Last week we met with the department but they were unable to shed any light other than to acknowledge their strategic review would result in a whole new departmental structure and that finally issues such as increased workloads might be addressed.

“The department has a 25 per cent budget black hole to fill over four years and we question whether they can find enough people willing to take a redundancy to fill it given there were more than 140 redundancies in 2013.

“To have this cloud of uncertainty hanging over staff is very debilitating and unfair and we will continue to press the department for answers.”