BARENGI Gadjin Land Council directors have terminated the land council's three Horsham staff.
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Six Victoria Police officers escorted the staff from the Darlot Street Horsham office yesterday morning.
Barengi Gadjin Land Council chairman Richard Kennedy and another director travelled to Horsham yesterday to hand deliver termination letters to executive officer Sandy Hodge, cultural heritage manager Gail Harradine and office manager Tracey Rigney.
Mr Hodge said Ms Harradine was on a site visit with Parks Victoria and he was at another meeting when the directors and a lawyer arrived at the office.
"I was contacted by the chairman to come in immediately. He told me over the phone my employment had been terminated," Mr Hodge said.
"We received an email from the chairman on Monday requesting a compulsory staff meeting attended by the board of directors and a lawyer. We advised yesterday afternoon we didn't want to be involved in any meeting until we had legal representation and a representative of the Australian Services Union present," he said.
Mr Hodge said the letters did not give any reasons why the three staff members had been terminated, referring only to an impasse between the board of directors and staff and saying the decision was to ensure the effective running of the council.
"We haven't been notified formally of any grievances," he said.
Mr Hodge said the termination letter was signed by only the two land council directors present.
For more on this story see Wednesday's Mail-Times.