Canterbury Regional Council is axing six jobs following changes to the way it undertakes water quality testing.
The council is to outsource all work in water testing and other analysis which it had been doing in its own laboratory.
Chief executive Bill Bayfield says a review of the testing services shows significant savings can be made if all the work is outsourced to Hills Laboratories.
The redundant personnel have been offered work until Christmas and will be involved in shutting the council facility.
Mr Bayfield says the change will not lessen the quality of testing.
