Public service chiefs in Australia have been given instructions on how to cut 12,000 jobs.
AAP reports Treasurer Joe Hockey is unable to say exactly which departments would be hit, but the details will be revealed in a mid-year economic and fiscal outlook to be released in December.
The Australian Public Service Commission on Friday issued guidance for agencies in helping the federal government meet its target of 12,000 jobs cut by natural attrition.
Mr Hockey told a business forum in Sydney on Friday the government was going through each department "balance sheet by balance sheet" to find savings.
Meanwhile, AAP reports Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the abolition of 12 non-statutory bodies and changes to nine others.
He said many had outlived their original purpose or weren't focused on the government's policy priorities.
"We certainly won't be stopping here," Mr Abbott said. "What you see is a government that is taking significant early steps towards ... reducing the size of the bureaucracy."
