The New Zealand Defence Force is making widespread changes to try and save money

More than 200 civilian staff have opted for voluntary redundancies as part of the cost-cutting drive.

An NZDF spokesperson says they've also started managing leave liability, restricting civilian recruitment to essential positions only, and disestablishing some vacant positions.

They say more savings are needed to stay within their budget, so it's likely there'll be more cuts to the civilian workforce.

Final decisions are expected to be made in April next year.