Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to tour the Melbourne based collaborative video game development space known as The Arcade. Guided by the Game Developers' Association of Australia's Tony Reed—whose passion and drive, I must say, are utterly infectious—I found myself amidst some of the most artistically creative and technically innovative minds this country has to offer. From within this unassuming structure in Melbourne's Southbank, 250 entities are at work. Simultaneously interlinked with colleagues across the nation and the globe, they pour heart and soul into the forging of new worlds, the reshaping of old narratives, the breaking down of the barriers that divide us, and the exportation of wonder to the world, all without wreaking irrevocable damage to the biosphere.

While there, I had the opportunity to meet the creators and entrepreneurs behind some of Australia's greatest video game successes and most innovative projects, from Crossy Road to Florence. One which stuck in my mind was Enabler, an applied game which enables disability service providers and support workers to interact with various disabled characters and, in so doing, gain the human rights based awareness training that is so vital to their work.

Beyond The Arcade, I was lucky enough to experience the breathtaking VR system developed by Oceanic Studios and was particularly struck by the bushfire awareness programs that they had created in coordination with the Victorian emergency services.

These projects and others are just the latest fruits borne by an industry which not only represents the technicolour fusion of arts, culture and technology but also so eloquently models the clean, smart and futureproof economy which we Greens so proudly advocate. Indeed, I could not escape the feeling while touring The Arcade that I had slipped through a notch in time and landed in the Australian cultural and economic future which may yet be.

This is why I am so excited and proud that we Greens have put forward a comprehensive package to support our Australian video game industry, with $100 million as part of an Australian interactive enterprise fund, $5 million for the co-creation and funding of collaborative working spaces, and the extension of the producer tax offset and the post, digital and visual effects offset available to the current Australian film industry, all delivered under a framework that will positively ensure that the industry into the future is diverse in all aspects.

The future of this country lies in clean, smart economics and vibrant cultural discourse. We must invest in creative and talented people working on interactive and innovative projects in Australia. We Greens are committed to rebooting the digital future of this nation, to investing in technology, creative arts and the amazing opportunities which lie at the intersection of the two. I thank the chamber for its time.