The Government is taking a look at the risks and performance of the assets and liabilities in its huge balance sheet.
The few pages on this in the budget include a statement that there will be more active monitoring of state-owned enterprises and crown financial institutions.
Crown net worth, the difference between assets and liabilities, has increased from 10 percent of gross domestic product to 54 percent in the last 10 years.
Total assets have risen from $72 billion to $219b over 10 years and financial assets have increased from $19b to $100b. Property assets have increased from $42b to $106b.
Investment in state owned business and crown entities has increased from $13b to $68b.
The budget says the higher crown net worth has put the country in a good position to manage through the current financial crisis and to manage broader financial challenges ahead.
But work has begun on an analysis on whether Crown's activities are financed efficiently and whether commercial activities are earning a commercial rate of return.
"Over the next year, we will be enhancing the quantification and reporting of financial risk across the Crown as a whole, implementing enhanced capital asset management for capital intensive agencies, and more active monitoring of state owned enterprises and crown financial institutions."
The budget said credit rating agency Moody's has recently examined the concept of a "sovereign liability map". This sets out liabilities in terms of the size of exposure they create.
