In theory, yes. But if you're asking this, thinking of cutting down the three-year time frame, I'm afraid I've just found another rule which won't allow that to happen, any more than it would for you yourself.
This is from the INZ operational manual, the section about Acceptable Sponsors
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/30982.htm, and one section is that they
must be ordinarily resident in New Zealand and for each of the three 12 month portions within the three years immediately preceding the date the application they wish to sponsor is made, have spent a total of 184 days or more in New Zealand