Fears our science sector will fall apart - without Budget funding to sustain it

The Government's cutting nearly 370 million dollars of operational costs - and more than 534 million dollars in capital costs from the Science, Innovation and Technology portfolio over the next five years.

New Zealand Association of Scientists co-president Lucy Stewart, says the sector's been desperately underfunded for years.

She says we're already losing our scientists, expertise, research institutions and infrastructure.

She says she doesn't know what the Government expects to happen - because without funding, things will just continue to get worse.