The Government's Budget for 2009 was announced on Thursday May 28, 2009.

Highlights include

Arts and Culture

The Government's Budget for 2009 was announced on Thursday May 28, 2009.

Highlights include

Arts and Culture

$10.5 million over the next four years

- Creative New Zealand will receive an additional $7.1 million
- The Royal New Zealand Ballet will receive an extra $3.4 million

Announcement from Christopher Finlayson, Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage

Statement from Creative New Zealand: Creative New Zealand will receive an additional $1.78 million annually to assist performing arts organisations to maintain their services.

Infrastructure: Broadband

$290 million for the previously announced $1.5 billion ultra-fast broadband programme.

-$200 million capital for infrastructure investment
-$34 million for making schools broadband-ready
-$8 million of operating spending (including $6 million for the Crown Fibre Investment Company)
-In addition to the $1.5 billion broadband proposal, rural areas will benefit from a $48 million investment in broadband infrastructure. The details of this investment will be released soon.

Announcement from Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce

Community and Voluntary Sector

$1.2 million over three years

- $400,000 annual initiative over three years, beginning in 2009/10,  will involve refreshing the membership of the Community Sector Taskforce.

Announcement from Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Tariana Turia

Deferred tax cuts

The planned second and third tranches of tax cuts, which were due to take effect on 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 respectively, have been deferred to avoid further increasing debt.

Fact sheet on deferred tax cuts -  from Finance Minister Bill English

Research, Science and Technology

- An extra $40 million over four years to the Crown Research Institute Capability Fund.
- Funding of $36 million over four years to the Marsden Fund to provide for investigator-initiated excellent research.
- $32 million over four years for health research.
- New funding of $4 million over four years for the Prime Minister’s Science Prizes.
- A $16 million capital injection in 2010/11 for the Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network (KAREN), to enhance New Zealand’s high-speed telecommunications research connectivity and capability.

Announcement from Research, Science and Technology Minister Wayne Mapp