BDO gets set to move Melbourne office to east end of Collins

Accounting and consulting firm BDO will double its floor space in Melbourne through a new office at the east end of Collins Street, with the move expected to take place toward the end of next year.

The firm has confirmed a ten-year lease at 35 Collins Street for an initial 5,000 square metres to cater to its ongoing growth, signalling a ‘late 2025’ departure date from its current Collins Square base in the Docklands.

Australia’s fifth largest accounting and advisory firm of its kind – and still one of its fastest-growing – the Melbourne relocation mirrors the rationale for its upcoming shift in Sydney, and follows the launch of a new outlet in Canberra.

“This move is not just about more desks; it’s about creating a workspace that enhances the experience for our people,” said BDO’s Melbourne managing partner David Garvey, adding that a move has been in the works for some time and was designed to accommodate continued growth with the opportunity for further expansion.

Despite significant headwinds, BDO last year shot past the half-a-billion-dollar mark to record $540 million in revenues on the back of 15 percent growth, while building its nation-wide headcount to more than 2,800 including almost 300 partners – the latter figure which has jumped by a fifth since the start of 2023. It aims to add another 100 or so professionals in Canberra alone over the next two years.

Yet, while Garvey also clarified that BDO has maintained a flexible workplace strategy, the firm claims there has been a growing desire from employees to be physically present in the office in order to enhance collaboration. Here, the exclusive ‘Paris end’ of Collins is noted as being centrally-located and close to public transport, including local tram-stops and nearby Parliament Station.

Heading east
BDO signed the lease for 2,600 square metres at its current address in Tower 4 of Collins Square back in 2016, its reported 22 partners and 160-odd staff at the time moving in shortly after the building’s completion. Other professional services firm to have flocked to the budding commercial district during the same cycle include KPMG, Pitcher Partners, AECOM, Fujitsu, and Mercer.

In what was reported to be a ten-year lease at the time, BDO – led by the recently-appointed Melbourne managing partner David Garvey – explained that the 2016 move was intended to support BDO’s growth plans, with an open, flexible workplace incorporated with seamless technology and collaborative spaces designed to re-energise the firm’s existing workforce and attract fresh talent.

Now, as it heads east for its next phase of growth, the firm will be joining NTT Data at Collins Place, with neighbours such as McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain & Company. As per recent industry reports, Ernst & Young is also preparing to move around the corner in 2025, while fellow mid-tier RSM shifted out of Collins Place earlier this year, but only slightly up the street.