Ms SPENCE (Yuroke) — I am very pleased to rise to speak on the Creative Victoria Bill 2016. This bill is important as it consolidates and enhances Victoria’s cultural and arts capacity, and it is an integral part of the Victorian government’s whole-of-sector approach to our creative industries. Our creative sectors and accompanying occupations account for around $23 billion in gross value added, and they make up about 8 per cent of the Victorian economy. They employ around 220 000 people and they provide Victoria with over $1 billion in cultural tourism annually. The Andrews Labor government recognises that our arts and cultural sectors are integral to the overall wellbeing of all Victorians, and this includes mental and physical health, as well as providing social and recreational benefits.

Quite frankly, who would want to live in a society that does not have a vibrant, active, well-funded and thriving cultural heart? Our creative industries are many and varied, ranging from craft, design, fashion, film and television, games, literature, music and theatre to visual and performing arts. A society that does not cherish its theatres, galleries, museums or its music, literature and art would be a sterile and mundane society in which to live. Although it is difficult to quantify, there is also no doubt that creative industries have a profound effect on the science and technology and environment and sustainability sectors and in areas such as education and communication. Of course, attempting to quantify the value of our creative industries in terms of numbers and dollars often misses their true intrinsic value to the recreational, social and also educational life of all Victorians. That is why the government has clarified and consolidated our approach to Victorian arts and creative industries with the creation of, and increased funding for, Creative Victoria.

The computer games industry is a perfect example of how Victoria’s creative industries are adding significant value to both our economic growth and the cultural enrichment of our community. There are easily quantifiable numbers and statistics I can cite to demonstrate the economic value of this industry to the Victorian economy. These statistics include the fact that over 47 per cent of Australia’s digital games developers and related companies are based in Victoria — and this figure grows every year. These companies create jobs and wealth for thousands of Victorians and serve to boost Victoria’s economic fundamentals. Melbourne is where Australia’s first digital game was created, and Victoria was the first state to provide government investment in game development.

Today, the state’s games sector comprises nearly half of Australia’s games industry and includes leading global companies and boutique developers. Nearly 96 per cent of Victorian-made games are made for the international market. Victoria is home to more than 120 games companies and has a growing pool of talent, with more than 1000 graduates emerging each year from games-related courses offered at 20 educational institutions. It is also home to the Game Developers Association of Australia, Australia’s peak games industry body, and the Arcade, a collaborative working space in Southbank that houses over 30 companies working on entertainment, games and gamification projects. This combination of enterprise and education is the lifeblood of our local industry. It draws to this state young and talented people who want to develop their careers and contribute to this ever-growing sector. More than just providing tech-related jobs, games require skills from a range of creative disciplines, from musicians to visual artists, sound designers and actors. This has manifested in the creation of game-specific motion capture studios, game-specific publishing companies and even public relations firms. There is also significant collaboration with other IT and creative sectors.

The sector comes together with national and international peers annually during Melbourne International Games Week, an initiative of the Victorian government that this year was experienced by more than 60 000 people. Throughout the week, games made locally were displayed to the world via the Apple App Store, which led to a locally made game, Agent A, hitting number one on the games download charts that week in Australia, New Zealand and China.

Many of my constituents in Yuroke are avid computer gamers, and they range in age from young children to young adults and even many older people who are discovering the many and diverse benefits of gaming. This increase and interest in computer gaming is indicative of the trend throughout Victoria, Australia and the rest of the world. As technology develops and games become much more sophisticated and visually appealing, there is no doubt that many more of my constituents will explore this exciting new technology. I had my father over the other week and he used my son’s virtual reality system. He was completely taken aback by how he could sit in the room and turn the chair around and see 360-degree graphics in 3D with real-life scenes. He did an under the sea tour and thought it was amazing.

I recently attended the PAX gaming event in Melbourne, and it was a fantastic exhibition of what the computer games industry has to offer people from all ages and backgrounds. I was pleased to meet and see so many Victorian games companies represented and showcasing their world-leading and world-beating products. From large, well-invested gaming companies to struggling independent, or ‘indie’, developers, Victoria is now the central hub for these industries in Australia. The indie showcase at the event was an eye-opener to just how many talented Victorians are focusing their careers in the computer games industry, and many of them were very excited about Creative Victoria’s support for their industry. I was pleased to hear that Victoria has secured the PAX Australia event through to 2019.

I am also thrilled that nine Melbourne game developers will share in more than $440 000 thanks to the latest round of Andrews Labor government investment funding. With games spanning a diverse range of topics, from a virtual reality journey through 1950s America, to adventure and detective games, to a story about a mother searching an alien planet for a cure to her son’s illness, the strength and diversity of Victoria’s game developers and the important contribution they make to the state’s creative reputation is clearly demonstrated.

As every parent knows, computer games have a value far beyond numbers, dollars and jobs. They provide recreation and enjoyment, as well as education, for our children. Given the prize money that was up for grabs at the recent PAX event, I am not sure that my constant harping to get off the computer was the best parental advice I could have been giving. Victorian schools also recognise the value of computer games, and that is why many schools are utilising computer games as an essential part of their curriculum. They are incorporating these games into school curriculums so that they can make learning fun, and it assists children with learning difficulties.

The Arts Council England’s report titled The Value of Arts and Culture to People and Society indicates that there is also growing evidence that engagement in structured arts and cultural activities improves the cognitive abilities of children and young people. It also states:

Research has evidenced that a higher frequency of engagement with arts and culture is generally associated with a higher level of subjective wellbeing.

As more tertiary students are choosing IT degrees, Victoria’s universities are responding with specific game design courses offered to students. Universities such as La Trobe, RMIT, Deakin and Swinburne all offer dedicated game-related courses. There are many other Victorian educational institutions also offering game-related content. The extraordinary success and growth of the Victorian computer games sector means that many of these graduates will choose Victoria as a place to work and reside. As Victoria is now the go-to place for skilled game designers and developers, we are attracting some of the world’s most skilled and talented graduates from all over Australia and the world.

The Andrews Labor government recognises that Victoria’s cultural growth is an essential part of what makes us unique, and modernising our legislative and structural approach to the many and varied creative industries and sectors is a fundamental first step in this process. As I previously indicated, this legislation will provide a new, whole-of-sector approach to focus on and recognise the private and public benefits of our arts and creative industries. It is an expression of this government’s vision and a tangible contribution to modernising our creative and arts sectors.

The legislation appears before the house as a reflection of the many views expressed during the concerted process of public and industry consultation, and the government is proud to be enhancing the cultural diversity and enrichment of our great state. I commend the bill to the house.