Jun 4, 2026 – 6.26pmThe Australian National University’s battered governing council approved a controversial plan to slash costs by $250 million without clear evidence the drastic measures were needed or likely to work, says a hard-hitting national audit report.A review by the Australian National Audit Office of the Renew ANU cost-cutting proposal – which sought to reduce operating costs by 16.5 per cent in just 15 months, including through redundancies – also noted reports from council members that debate over the policy was discouraged in meetings.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles