The main points of the 2013 New Zealand Budget:
* Urgent legislation to cut through red tape and speed house-building in areas where homes are least affordable - and not just in Auckland.
* A memorandum of understanding with Reserve Bank for measures to curb accelerating house prices and avoid fuelling boom-bust cycles in wider economy.
* Big reductions in ACC levies - but businesses and households will have to wait for one or two years before they take effect.
* Meridian Energy confirmed as next state company to undergo partial privatisation.
* $100 million package to help businesses to operate internationally.
* Tenancy reviews to be extended to all occupants of state houses.
* Government to use bulk purchasing power to buy cheaper whiteware for beneficiaries.
* Start-up companies making losses able to claim refunds tax losses on research and development.
THE GOVERNMENT'S BOOKS
* A $75 million surplus in two years' time after years of Budget deficits.
* The rebuilding of Christchurch to swallow up $900 million of $1.7 billion proceeds from partial float of Mighty River Power.
* Slightly more money for new Government spending initiatives this year than originally flagged, but slightly less for next year's Budget than signalled previously.
* Resumption of Government contributions to New Zealand Superannuation Fund delayed for two years until 2020.
THE ECONOMY
* Economic growth to average 2 to 3 per cent over next four years.
* Unemployment forecast to fall from 6.7 per cent in 2012 to 5.2 per cent in 2017.
* Interest rates to rise slowly, with rates on 90-day bank bills moving up from current 2.7 per cent to 4.8 per cent in 2017.
* Wages to grow by two to three per cent a year over next four years.
READ MORE -
John Armstrong: Steady-as-she-goes budget
Student loan defaulters could be stopped at border.
Research and Development gets $130m funding boost.
All state house tenancies to be reviewed
Government allocates $188.6m for welfare reforms.
ACC levy cuts to cancel out fiscal drag
$94m to make KiwiRail freight business self-sustaining
Govt to work with councils on housing planning and consents
Govt to cut student allowance and loan spending
Families will be paid to care for disabled adult relatives