KPMG Australia aims to have just half its consulting work done by locally based advisers by 2026, with the rest carried out by lower-cost workers based in Australia and overseas, or performed by robots.

The planned 2025-26 “delivery model” has caused concern among consulting staff, who worry up to half of the 4000-strong team could be forced out, but the firm’s leadership says there are no plans to make further job cuts. Instead, firm leaders say, the change is more about overhauling the near-$1 billion consulting division to better meet evolving client demands.