The federal government has cut billions of dollars from programs ranging from the environment to health and indigenous legal aid.

The cuts come as Treasurer Joe Hockey released an update on the health of the federal budget on Tuesday. The update, called the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, estimates that the federal budget will blow out to a $47 billion deficit by next June.

Mr Hockey blamed the blowout in part on a $17 billion collapse in government revenues in recent months, meaning it is too difficult to meet his commitment to achieve a budget surplus by 2016-17.