Greens pledge funds for game developers

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman. Photo / Getty Images

Greens co-leader Russel Norman says his party has developed a policy to address a skills shortage and lack of government investment in one of the "fastest growing sectors in the world" -- the gaming industry.

Announcing the seventh component of the Greens' "cleaner, smarter" economic policy, Dr Norman said the $30 million ICT (information and communications technology) plan would provide much-needed investment for a sector which was "tremendously important for the future of the New Zealand".

Game developers weren't eligible for the government grants and support which other creatives received and the Greens policy addressed that anomaly, he said.

"We will create a new games development fund that will allocate up to $9 million of grants over the next three years to kick-start this emerging industry."

As one of the sector's greatest challenges was a skills shortage, the Greens would also invest in talent and training, Dr Norman said.

The multi-billion-dollar global industry had seen huge growth in New Zealand, increasing by more than 50 per cent in the year to March 2014 to $80 million, he said.

"This is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world at the moment and the benefits for New Zealand shouldn't be underestimated.

"The great thing about ICT and games development in New Zealand is that it's a gravity-zero export, it doesn't have a big environmental footprint.

"It is an opportunity for us to diversify our economy away from simple commodities."

The policy also included the establishment of an chief technology advisor, similar to the role of the Prime Minister's chief science officer, Dr Norman said.

The party was also continuing to advocate for a second internet cable, a policy the Greens first announced in 2012, he said.

"We're going to have a watching brief on that situation and if the private sector is unable to deliver -- and there's some uncertainty around it at the moment -- we'll make sure that it happens because it's critical to the long-term future of the New Zealand economy as a whole."

Auckland gaming firm Outsmart's business operations manager Wayne Webb said up until now, they had felt like a silent partner in the New Zealand economy.

"It's really great to see us moving towards the gameification of the New Zealand economy."

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Key planks of the policy:

* Establishing a game development fund of $9 million over three years;

* Championing local business by requiring reporting on government ICT spending and reducing barriers to local contractors;

* A $15 million fund over three years to support internship programmes in partnership with industry and the tertiary sector;

* $3 million over three years for a government chief technology advisor.