SYDNEY, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Australia's New South Wales (NSW) Government has committed to its target of 5000 public sector redundancies, the State Premier Barry O'Farrell said on Tuesday ahead of his announcement of the first round of the cuts.
O'Farrell is expected to announce the first round of the cuts, flagged in September's budget.
The Premier told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday that the original target remained.
"We've committed ourselves to a target, a target of 5,000 remains," O'Farrell said.
Under the public service cull, which will see jobs cut in finance, transport, family services and health, workers will be offered a voluntary redundancy package or three months to find another job.
When asked about the first 1900 redundancies in a budget estimates hearing in Sydney, NSW Treasurer Mike Baird described the cull as "a tough decision".
"The cabinet took no pleasure in making that sort of decision," Baird told the hearing at state parliament.
He said the cuts were necessary because the state had been living beyond its means.
