Brighter Super invests $225m as part of $500m commitment

Brighter Super has committed almost half of its planned $500 million in the Queensland Investment Strategy (QIS), two years into a five-year program aimed at increasing local investment across property, agriculture, infrastructure and high-growth businesses.

Speaking at the Queensland Futures Institute Finance Summit, chief executive Kate Farrar said the fund had already committed to $225 million under the strategy, which was launched to direct more members' retirement savings back into the Queensland economy by 2029.

Farrar said Queensland's population growth, infrastructure pipeline and expanding innovation economy were creating attractive long-term investment opportunities, particularly ahead of the 2032 Summer Olympics.

The strategy builds on more than $1 billion already invested in the state and reflects the fund's focus on supporting local economic growth while delivering returns for members.

Brighter Super, which manages $37 billion on behalf of more than 340,000 members, said it is now the third largest non-government financial institution headquartered in Queensland.

"We have seen a decline in locally headquartered financial capability, raising an important question about who will continue backing Queensland into the future," Farrar said.

The fund's investments to date include a $100 million allocation to Queensland industrial and logistics real estate assets through Barings, focused on southeast Queensland and regional hubs.

It also committed $75 million to the Queensland Regional Agriculture and Food Trust managed by Riparian, targeting regional producers, water assets and agricultural and infrastructure.

Another $50 million partnership with QIC is backing high-growth Queensland businesses across advanced manufacturing, agtech, aerospace and technology.

The QIC portfolio includes investments in Queensland based companies including Gilmour, Space Technologies, SwarmFarm Robotics, Future Maintenance Technologies and ProcurePro.

Farrar said future investment would continue to be assessed against the same return, risk and cost hurdles applied across the broader portfolio.