The Australian National University Perth office will be closing as the university is "working to exit the lease", chancellor Julie Bishop revealed to the Senate.

ANU leadership appeared on the last day of Senate estimates on Friday, October 10, and were asked about Renew ANU, finances and Ms Bishop's future leadership.

Ms Bishop was asked about the expensive Perth office, which cost $800,000 to fit out in 2020 .

She said the university could "no longer afford to have an office in Perth".

Ms Bishop defended the creation of the office in 2019, saying the high costs were due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The cost of putting an office in place during COVID-19 was astronomical," Ms Bishop said.

"The processes we went through were complicated by the fact that no one from ANU could travel to

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