Already announced Budget spending

The Government has already announced budget spending over the past few weeks totalling more than $650 million for the next four years:

* A boost to the number of hip and knee replacement operations from an extra $30 million in 2004-05, rising to $70 million annually by 2007 to 08.

* $73 million over four years for new technology to relieve pressure on the courts, including $30 million for digital recording gear.

* Nearly $70 million over four years for statistics gathering, including improvements to census data collection, internet use and social policy evaluation.

* $62 million over four years to help migrants, refugees and their families contribute to society, including $37.9 million for more English language teaching and $6 million extra for the Refugee and Migrant Service.

* $56.9 million over four years to help young people enter the workforce or further education and training, including 500 more apprenticeship places.

* $40 million over four years to boost New Zealand's international education industry, including scholarships, promotion and improvement in quality.

* $39 million over four years to fight the methamphetamine trade and organised crime.

* $26.5 million over four years to Investment New Zealand to attract more foreign investment; $4 million a year to INZ's strategic investment fund; $10 million a year over three years to NZ Trade and Enterprise to promote market opportunities for business; and $7.5 million a year for a market development.

* $26 million over four years for major projects to allow groups of New Zealand-based businesses to take advantage of market opportunities.

* A forestry package which includes $12 million over five years for market development, provided the industry backs the idea and provides $4 million. A further $1.4 million over five years will go to continue market-access work, provided industry contributes $2.75 million over five years on "bio-energy" initiatives, and $5 million over five years on a wood-processing "centre of excellence".

* $16.5 million over four years to build capabilities of adult and community education providers.

* More than $30 million next year on culture and heritage, including $10 million for the Film Commission, $3 million to NZ on Air, and $6 million to develop a National Memorial Park at the National War Memorial in Wellington.

* $15 million over four years on drug-related health initiatives.

* $14.9 million over four years for "family safety teams" to deal with family violence issues.

* $14.8 million over four years for new police national security teams to increase counter-terrorism capability.

* $13 million for a new policing centre in Manukau.

* $12 million over three years for a new fund for scientists to participate in international research projects.

* $11 million for small communities to fund better infrastructure to cope with tourist numbers.

* $9 million increase to jurors' fees and fund claims for parking and childcare expenses.

* $5.5 million over four years to change the benefit stand-down assessment period for seasonal workers to attract more people into seasonal work.

* $5.5 million over four years on suicide prevention measures.

* $4.3 million over four years for a nationwide radio communications network for fisheries officers.

* $4 million over four years to study the effects of commercial fishing on recreational fishers.

* $3.5 million for a new courthouse in Queenstown.

* $3.5 million over four years to participate in the Aichi Expo in Japan.

* $2.7 million for a new transmitter for Radio New Zealand International.

* $2.6 million to boost an energy conservation grant fund for older homes, and $700,000 to study how more households can make energy gains and install cleaner heating sources.

* $2.4 million in funding to work with businesses to help them maximise their opportunities to build up management capability.

* $2.4 million to help build the private sector's management capability.

* $2.3 million to help make the textile, clothing, footwear and carpet sector more internationally competitive.

* $1.65 million to fund an embassy in Egypt due to open in 2006.

* $1.25 million to reintegrate offenders into the community.

* $1.7 million this year and $800,000 in the following year to support free-trade negotiations.

* $600,000 for the New Zealand Music Industry Commission, which promotes the local music industry.

* $500,000 to help develop the tourism quality assurance system, Qualmark.

* $381,000 over two years to support crime-fighting "youth offending teams" .