Brisbane Long Lunch 2025: Developers Set Tone for Transformative Decade

Brisbane’s development leaders will gather at The Urban Developer’s Long Lunch on Thursday, December 4 for what has become the city’s benchmark end-of-year industry event.

Hosted at The Star Brisbane and presented by ARC Energy and Opticomm, the event will bring together more than 900 senior developers, investors and decision-makers to dissect the forces reshaping South-East Queensland’s built environment.

Join more than 900 already registered >>

Growth and pressure

Brisbane’s momentum shows no sign of easing. Population growth, major infrastructure and the countdown to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games are driving the next wave of investment.

But the market faces headwinds—escalating construction costs, supply constraints and a planning system under pressure.

The Long Lunch panel will examine how developers are managing these realities and where the next opportunities will come from.

Jamisen Rivera | Frasers Property Australia

Jamisen Rivera, development director for Frasers Property Australia, leads a portfolio spanning build-to-rent and premium apartment projects across Queensland.

As chair of the UDIA Queensland Brisbane City Council Committee, she works with industry and government to address housing supply bottlenecks and feasibility constraints.

Rivera will provide a developer’s view of how to align commercial reality with housing policy and the strategies Frasers is deploying to deliver amid cost and planning pressures.

Frank Licastro | Frank Developments

Frank Licastro, founder and managing director of Frank Developments, represents the new wave of Brisbane developers focused on quality and design-led density.

His boutique firm has delivered a series of high-end residential projects across the city’s inner suburbs. Licastro will share a front-line perspective on Brisbane’s changing urban fabric and the opportunities emerging as the city embraces medium and high-density living.

Steve Laffey | Verso Projects

Verso Projects chief executive Steve Laffey brings two decades of experience in construction and development to the table.

He has overseen complex mixed-use and residential projects across South-East Queensland and is known for his pragmatic approach to project delivery.

Laffey will speak to the operational side of development in today’s market—managing risk, building supply chain resilience and maintaining quality under cost pressure.

Rob Comiskey | Comiskey Group

Rob Comiskey, director and co-founder of the Comiskey Group, leads one of Queensland’s most diverse privately held property businesses.

The group’s $850-million pipeline includes the Aura Hotel, Coochin Fields, and expansions of Sandstone Point and Eatons Hill, projects that combine entertainment, tourism and lifestyle.

Comiskey will outline how private capital and mixed-use development are shaping the region’s identity and how the 2032 Games are influencing long-term investment.

Industry temperature check

The Brisbane Long Lunch has become the annual pulse check for the city’s property market—an opportunity to measure sentiment, challenge assumptions and exchange ideas.

This year’s discussion will focus squarely on delivery: how to keep projects viable, maintain quality and ensure Brisbane’s growth remains both ambitious and sustainable in the years ahead.

The Urban Developer Long Lunch — Brisbane
Thursday, December 4, 2025
The Star Brisbane
Presented by ARC Energy and Opticomm
Tickets close to sold out.

Register here >>