Latest moves in Gardner case

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 34, 12 February 1985, Page 13

Latest moves in Gardner case

The Gardner and Ball families have contacted the British Broadcasting Corporation in England as their latest move in their long-running campaign against deportation.

Copies of a letter sent to the BBC by Mrs Ann Gardner have been forwarded to Mr John Kenyon, the producer in charge of BBC TV farming programmes in Birmingham and Mr Tony Parkin who has just retired as producer of 'On your farm', a Saturday morning radio programme which is broadcast nationwide. He is currently editorial consultant for 'The Archers', a long running radio series about country life. The BBC's Bristol news editor, Mr Pat Morley, who worked for six months with Television New Zealand several years ago, has also been kept informed of the latest developments in the story. The family members have been convicted of overstaying in New Zealand and ordered to be deported as soon as one of Tom and Jane Ball's two children, who has been ill with a heart complaint, has recovered his health. Mr Charles Gardner has been given permission to remain in the country to sell up the family farm, which was bought in April 1983 for over $700,000. Their campaign against deportation is based on the claim that work they are doing on the breeding of ewes with four teats is of value to New Zealand. Also this week Mr and Mrs Gardner received a letter from Mr Stuart Oliver, the national sheep specialist with the British Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, expressing interest in their four teated ewes