The Defence Department will cut over one thousand civilian public servants as part of sweeping reforms.

The department has undergone a ‘First Principles’ review, and it appears that the ‘job-for-life culture’ may not last much longer.

The decision has been slammed by Labor and questioned by an LNP Senator. 

The Commonwealth will take on 75 of the 76 review recommendations.

One three-star general position will be axed, as well as six deputy positions in the upper echelon of the public service.

The Defence Materiel Organisation - the agency handles equipment purchases for the department - will be folded back into the department and be influenced by a new capability and sustainability group.

Civilian job cuts will be added to the 3,000 cuts made since 2012, as part of large reforms that department secretary Dennis Richardson calls “necessary change”.

About 1,000 uniformed Australian Defence Force members who do jobs normally given to civilian bureaucrats are expected to move into the public service workforce.

The net Defence Department workforce reduction from the review will be about 1000, leaving a total workforce of between 17,000 and 18,000 people.

The review said it was extraordinarily difficult to approach reforms in the Commonwealth department that features the highest proportion of public servants to have only ever worked in one agency.

“It is a cradle to the grave model which is not without its benefits,” the review said.

“However, on balance we would contend this insular approach and lack of diversity contributes to the inability of Defence to change.”

The government and department will spend three months planning how to make the changes, with reforms to be rolled out over the course of two years.