Sitting in the boardroom of a 14th-floor office in the heart of Melbourne, it’s easy to understand why UK firms are interested in the city, and elsewhere in Australia. The sun is out, there are cranes in the air – in the first quarter of this year, the number of cranes in Melbourne passed 200 for the first time ever in Rider Levett Bucknall’s survey. “It’s a really great city isn’t it?” says Alinea’s Iain Parker. “There’s just so much going on.” 

Parker – who is in town to talk strategy and collaboration with Slattery, a Melbourne-based quantity surveyor with which Alinea signed a memorandum of understanding last year – is clearly enthused by the prospect of the work on offer: “It’s a really exciting city and a really exciting opportunity for us.” 

His counterpart from Slattery, Barry Laycock, a director at the firm, agrees there are plenty of reasons the Australian market is attracting UK players. “There’s lots of opportunities here. There’s a growing population [and] we are seeing a good investment in infrastructure.” 

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