Police are asking for the public’s help to find missing Karori 12-year-old William Police said William has not been seen by his family since 7.30pm yesterday “William’s family and police want to know that he is safe.” William was last seen wearing a red hoodie or have information that may help police locate him clicking “update report” using the reference number 250427/2735 The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night Report a problem The Karori Event Centre is one of multiple capital projects that Council is considering as part of the Long-term Plan amendment process the Mayor and Councillors met to vote on changes to the capital plan which will be put forward for community consultation as part of the Long-term Plan (LTP) amendment process This included selecting an option to remove funding to complete the Karori Event Centre and provide further advice on next steps for the building.  A final decision about the future of the Karori Event Centre has not been made yet.  Councillors will make the final decision and adopt the amended LTP in June 2025 once community feedback has been considered The Karori Event Centre was funded by Karori residents along with a number of community and national organisations It was built to replace three separate halls at this location including the former St John’s Church and includes an auditorium meeting room and back of house spaces including changing rooms and a kitchen the Council agreed a new hall was needed and it would be funded in part by the proceeds of the sale of the St John’s Church site and by community fundraising The Karori Event Centre was gifted to the Council by the Karori Community Hall Trust (the Trust) in December 2022 with the intention that the Council would fund the completion of the project $1.9 million was allocated by the Council at the time for this work.  When the gift of the building was accepted the Council agreed to use reasonable endeavours to complete the fit out of the building for a maximum cost of $1.9 million This was agreed by the Trust at the time and is outlined in the Deed of Gift signed by both the Trust and Council The Deed of Gift is also clear that under no circumstances will the Council spend more than $1.9 million to complete the fitout The building requires significant work to achieve building code compliance including fire rating the north facade and flood protection work and repairs as it has experienced significant damage from water ingress over time The current cost estimate to achieve building code compliance for the building is $3.3 million This would be an extra $1.3 million than what was budgeted for in the 2024-34 Long-term Plan More funding would also be required to complete the fitout to allow the building to open The Trust have committed to funding the seating block and to fundraise kitchen items More than $3 million was contributed to the Trust for the construction of the building including donations and grants from Wellington City Council philanthropic organisations and the Karori community Council support for the project included grants of $920,000 along with the land the centre was built on advice will be provided to Council on how the $1 million of funding to the project donated by the Karori community can be allocated to another appropriate community facility or project in Karori Options for the next steps for the Karori Event Centre include the following We would run a process to identify a preferred purchaser for the site We would ensure the Karori Community Hall Trust is provided an opportunity to put forward a tender The purchaser would be responsible for either completing the work required to use the building or demolishing the building and replacing it with something else removing all materials (recycling where possible) and returning the site to a bare state This could provide an opportunity for community use of the site in the short-term similar to the night and farmers markets held on the St John site throughout 2024 The cost of this option is approximately $300,000 The Council would demolish and remediate the site returning it to a bare state before the site is sold The cost to demolish and remediate the site is approximately $300,000 but avoids the risk of the building remaining in its current state for longer than necessary It also provides an opportunity for community use of the space while a preferred developer is identified and the design and consent work is undertaken Allows for the work required to achieve building compliance to be undertaken This would not include the cost of completing the fit out of the building to allow it to be opened and used by the community (for example walls would not be painted and there would be no furniture or kitchen equipment An increase in the capex budget of $1.3 million would be required for this option.  Formal consultation on the Long-term Plan 2024-34 (LTP) amendment and Annual Plan 2025/26 is now open until midnight To have your say and find out more, go to the LTP amendment consultation page on our Let's Talk website For more information, email feedback@wcc.govt.nz Service desk locations Tory Whanau launches Golden Mile project yesterday Become a Wellington.Scoop Supporter » There have been multiple possible sightings of the 12-year-old Wellington boy who went missing on Saturday night Police have been appealing for sightings of William Walmsley from Karori who has not been seen since Saturday His father Andrew Walmsley told RNZ his son parted ways with friends in the city's CBD about 8pm and a family acquaintance saw him near Courtenay Place about midnight police said there had been unconfirmed sightings since then "There have been possible sightings of him since Saturday night including today," a police spokesperson said "We're following up on each of the possible sightings." Walmsley said one of the unconfirmed sightings was early on Monday morning Walmsley said his son's disappearance was out of character and he was worried for his safety "He was out in the Wellington CBD with a couple of friends .. the other two have subsequently been found at different times William had stayed out overnight with a friend once before - but this was different Through tears he told RNZ he was feeling "pretty awful "He's quite a sociable kid so it's unusual that he would stay out this long on his own whether that means he's met someone else that he knows in town The police had been helpful but not had any luck either if he can just get in touch or make his way home William had a phone with him - which his family believed was out of battery - and a Snapper card "He's had a number of friends messaging and calling him he sorta stopped responding to things early on Sunday we think that means his phone's gone flat," said Walmsley and younger than he looked - he could be mistaken for 14 or 15 Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Defending champions Auckland United will extend their unbeaten streak to 49 games if they win Sunday’s women’s grand final against CF Waterside Karori They go into the final as favourites to retain the Women’s National League title after a run of success that includes winning this year’s OFC Women’s Champions League the Lotto NRFL Women’s Premiership and the Kate Sheppard Cup United will also aim to protect a record of scoring in every game they have played since June 18 CF Waterside Karori are a partnership team formed by the Women’s Central League club and their federation CF Waterside Karori will provide a strong test after emerging as a strong force in this season’s National League Though the club finished second (to Wellington United Diamonds) in the Women’s Central League and scored an average of three goals-per-game they were unbeaten till last weekend’s final round when they lost to Southern United in Dunedin after they had already qualified for the the grand final CF Waterside Karori will be looking to take the national title back to the capital for the first time since 2010 The winner will qualify to represent New Zealand at the 2025 OFC Women’s Champions League tournament in Tahiti Auckland United won the OFC title this year in the Solomon Islands FIFA plan to introduce a FIFA Women’s Club World Cup to match the revamped 32-team men’s competition due to start in the United States next year and it’s likely Oceania’s first representative will be based on which club has the best record in the seasons leading up to its launch Auckland United forward Kaley Ward (29) will face her former teammates in the grand final having transferred from Waterside Karori in September She was voted the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2023 when she scored eight times for CF Waterside Karori and she found the net three times for United in this year’s league United striker Charlotte Roche goes into the grand final as the pacesetter in the league’s Golden Boot one more than grand final opponent Kendall Pollock READ MORE: Women’s National League Golden Boot award set to go to the wire >>>> Roche (20) started her football journey with North Canterbury’s Waimak United when she was five and she has previously played for Canterbury United Pride in the National League scoring eight goals for the Southerners in 2022 After a spell with Canterbury’s Cashmere Technical she moved to Auckland for the 2024 winter season scoring 13 goals in United’s Lotto NRFL Women’s Premiership title win United’s squad includes Football Fern Paige Satchell and former Wellington Phoenix A-League players Saskia Vosper and Chloe Knott American striker Kendall Pollock (29) joined Waterside Karori ahead of the June 30 transfer deadline scoring six goals in the Women’s Central League She’s scored seven more in the National League including a hat-trick against Central Football in Round 4 A former college player for the North Florida Ospreys she and fellow US import Emma Starr have drawn interest from the Phoenix as potential A-League players Midfielder Starr (30) has played football in the United States Her past clubs include London’s Crystal Palace She joined CF Waterside Karori after a spell with Queensland club Eastern Suburbs Regular starters Starr and teammate Tui Dugan were left out of their side’s Round 9 game in Dunedin Another key player in the CF Waterside Karori line-up is Renee Bacon (28) who won the MVP award for the 2022 edition of the league Levin-born Bacon joined Waterside Karori in 2022 after moving to the Capital from Otago where she previously played for Roslyn Wakari and Southern United and the assistant referees will be Allys Clipsham and Heloise Welch READ MORE: Meet the fifth team who’ll take the pitch for the National League grand finals >>>> Auckland United face the toughest challenge of their year when they played five games in the sweltering heat of Solomon Islands they played 21 matches to win the Lotto NRFL Women’s Premiership five games to take the Kate Sheppard Cup and nine rounds to reach Sunday’s grand final The final will be United’s 41st match more than double the number of games played by their opponents this year Will the rigours of a final prove one game too many for United and it will need extra time to decide the title I think the trophy could be on a flight back to Wellington READ MORE: Women’s National League Golden Boot award set to go to the wire >>>> PREVIEW: Birkenhead United chase grand final success at scene of past triumph >>>> READ MORE: Four players in contention for Men’s National League’s Golden Boot >>>> *The league moved to its current format in 2022 Previous iterations involved teams representing federations This story was first published on November 29 Here’s NZ Football’s 5-minute highlights reel from last.. Here’s NZ Football’s 7-minute highlights reel from last.. Auckland FC’s Guillermo May is the special guest on episode 17 of New Zealand’s weekly.. Auckland United have started the defence of their OFC Women’s Champions League title with a.. Dub Zone is back for another week of analysis Papua New Guinea have claimed the final place at August’s OFC U-16 Men’s Championship after.. A widely-admired former club and regional football administrator Here’s NZ Football’s 12-minute highlights reel from last.. May 3-9: OFC U-16 Men’s Championship – qualifying, Tonga (click here for details) May 5-18 (NZT): Auckland United at OFC Women’s Champions League, Tahiti (click here for details) May 16-18: Grand final, women’s A-League (click here for details) Monday May 19 (2.30am NZT): New Zealand U-16 men v Switzerland, FIFA Youth Series, Zurich (click here for details) Tuesday May 20 (2.30am NZT): New Zealand U-16 men v Guatemala, FIFA Youth Series, Zurich (click here for details) May 26-June 3: FIFA international window (women) May 30-June 1: Grand final, men’s A-League (click here for details) May 31-June 1: Second rounds of Chatham Cup June 2-10: FIFA international window (men) Thursday June 5 (7.30am NZT): Chile U-20 v New Zealand U-20, men’s international, Complejo Deportivo Quilín, Santiago (click here for details) Sunday June 8 (7.30am NZT): Chile U-20 v New Zealand U-20, men’s international, Complejo Deportivo Quilín, Santiago (click here for details) Sunday June 8 (11am NZT): All Whites v Côte d’Ivoire, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada (click here for details) Wednesday June 11 (9am NZT): All Whites v Ukraine, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada (click here for details) June 15-July 13: FIFA Club World Cup, United States (click here for details) Monday June 16 (6am NZT): Auckland City v Bayern Munich, FIFA Club World Cup, TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio (click here for details) Saturday June 20 (6am NZT): Auckland City v Benfica, FIFA Club World Cup, Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida (click here for details) Wednesday June 24 (7am NZT): Auckland City v Boca Juniors, FIFA Club World Cup, Geodis Park, Nashville, Tennessee (click here for details) June 23-July 1: FIFA international window (women) July 5-6: Quarter-finals of Kate Sheppard Cup August 1-14: OFC U-16 Women’s Championship, Samoa (click here for details) August 15-30: OFC U-16 Men’s Championship, Solomon Islands (click here for details) August 16-17: Semi-finals of Kate Sheppard Cup September 2-9: FIFA international window (men) September 17-24: University of Auckland at FISU Men’s Football World Cup September 20-24: OFC Futsal Men’s Cup September 21-October 4: OFC U-19 Women’s Championship September 27-October 19: FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup September 27-28: Season starts for men’s and women’s National Leagues October 7-15: FIFA international window (men) Wednesday October 15 (k/o TBC): Norway v All Whites, international friendly, Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo, Norway (click here for details) October 17-November 8: FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Morocco (click here for details) October 20-28: FIFA international window (women) November 4-28 (NZT): FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup, Qatar (click here for details) November 10-18: FIFA international window (men) November 17-22: OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League November 21-December 7: FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, Philippines (click here for details) 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Oceania qualifiers December 13-14: Grand finals of men’s and women’s National Leagues June 12-July 20 (NZT): FIFA Men’s World Cup © 2025 Friends of Football Site designed by Hurricane Press Ltd using - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP A new development partner has been selected to transform Karori’s old St John's Church site with a mixed-use development of housing Wellington City Mission has officially opened their one-of-a-kind transformational community hub Today I met with Councillors to further discuss our Long-Term Plan amendment in the lead up to official deliberations on 21 November Councillors and Pouiwi have decided on proposals to reduce spending as part of an amendment to the 2024-34 Long-term Plan Missing Wellington 12-year-old William Walmsley has been found and taken home to his parents He was last seen in the central city about midnight on Saturday - but last night made contact with a friend saying he was okay Andrew Walmsley said the police had found William on Tuesday and brought him home Walmsley said William was found in Lower Hutt about 4pm on Tuesday He said William started communicating with him and some friends via texting and calling they were able to work out his rough location allowing police to find him and pick him up but his parents and the police were getting mixed messages from him - and others involved - about what had actually happened especially knowing strangers were involved "The most important thing was getting him home safe so we're there now and we just have to work out what the next steps are." Earlier on Tuesday, Walmsley told RNZ that a friend had received a text from William on Monday He said he had met other runaway kids in Wellington's CBD and was now staying with one of their families "We weren't really sure what that meant," Andrew Walmsley said Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday William Walmsley is thought to have met other runaways in Wellington's CBD Police say there have been multiple unconfirmed sightings of missing 12-year-old William Walmsley this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read Richlister Kurt Gibbons' development company is linked to a demolition application for this prime Karori site Housing could be coming to an empty Karori plot of land touted as “one of the largest residential sites available for development in Wellington’s central suburbs” And new documents link a rich-lister developer to the site The three-hectare former Teachers’ Training College site, between Donald St and Campbell St, was transferred from the Ministry of Education to Victoria University for $10 in 2014 The university then deemed it surplus to requirements in 2016 and sold it to Ryman Healthcare Market sources claim rich-lister Kurt Gibbons is purchasing the site through his luxury property development company Gibbons Co which specialises in residential townhouse developments Gibbons told the Herald he was not the buyer and would not comment to media confirmed there was a buyer but said it was not Gibbons Co documents seen by the Herald show Gibbons Co jointly applied to Wellington City Council alongside current owner Ryman Healthcare Ltd to demolish the remaining buildings on the property to make way for development The site has district plan permission to build up to 11 metres high A certificate of compliance application lodged in January asks the council’s permission for demolition of the buildings under section 139 of the Resource Management Act which is outside the need for resource consent The companies asked to bowl the remaining buildings “down to their ground-floor slab” without removing the foundations and to not undertake any earthwork or use of explosives Wellington City Council said the demolition application had not yet been approved but confirmed it had held “pre-application discussions” regarding potential development “You’ll have to talk to Ryman/Gibbons re what they’re planning,” a council spokesman said Gibbons also recently purchased another of Ryman’s Wellington assets, snapping up the site of the former Tip Top bread factory beside Newtown’s Woolworths supermarket for $7.25m The former university campus in Karori was once the subject of a bitter dispute between Victoria University and the Ministry of Education Ryman had planned to develop it into a retirement village with hospital and dementia care available with resource consent granted in 2022 for more than 300 units Economic conditions saw the plans fall through with the company telling stakeholders in May last year that it had decided to put the site on the market challenging market conditions and construction cost inflation have resulted in this site no longer being suitable for our planned development,” Ryman said at the time CBRE describes the site as an “unparalleled development opportunity,” which “offers exceptional potential in a highly sought-after metropolitan location” Residents have long been eager for development of the site with Karori Residents Association chairwoman and real estate agent Andrea Skews previously telling the Herald there were “a lot of strong feelings and a lot of different opinions” in the community about what should happen with the property It was a prime piece of land that offered “unlimited options” for the community A spokeswoman said the company was “in the advanced stages of the sale process for Karori” “We are unable to share any additional detail until the process has concluded as this is commercially sensitive and confidential“ Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics and property in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz Where some folks in Karori saw an empty Council lot Sharon Powick and Joanne Thorlby saw an opportunity to create a flourishing community marketplace While our park rangers often find fairy houses in our reserves made from harmful plastics and glitter local artists Sharon Powick and Debbie Bidlake .. The Karori community is celebrating the instalment of a new raised pedestrian crossing Meet some of the wonder-fur pets that visit the Harbourside Market Ryman Healthcare is selling the Karori site after plans for a retirement village fell through Expressions of interest have closed for a prime parcel of land in Wellington’s largest suburb with residents hoping something finally happens with the abandoned site The former university campus in Karori was once the subject of a bitter dispute between Victoria University and the Ministry of Education The 3ha site between Donald St and Campbell St was transferred from the ministry to the university for just $10 in 2014. The university then deemed it surplus to requirements in 2016 and sold it to Ryman Healthcare for $28 million Ryman had planned to develop it into a retirement village with hospital and dementia care available But plans fell through with the company telling stakeholders in May it had decided to put the site on the market challenging market conditions and construction cost inflation have resulted in this site no longer being suitable for our planned development,” Ryman said in an email at the time Real estate agency CBRE is handling the sale describing the site as an “unparalleled development opportunity” which “offers exceptional potential in a highly sought-after metropolitan location” CBRE director Dharmendra Mistry is pitching the property as a once-in-a-lifetime chance “to provide much-needed additional housing into the Wellington market” through medium density residential development “This is one of the largest residential sites available for development in Wellington’s central suburbs It’s a highly significant opportunity to plan a development which contributes a meaningful volume of new housing stock into the city at a time when new homes are desperately needed,” Mistry said in a press release The agency says the block of land is an ideal candidate for three-storey townhouses Expressions of interest closed for the property yesterday It is unknown how many parties have expressed interest with CBRE declining to comment due to commercial sensitivity Karori Residents Association chair and real estate agent Andrea Skews told the Herald there are “a lot of strong feelings and a lot of different opinions” in the community about what should happen with the property it’s pretty hard to get an agreement on what everybody wants.” Skews said it was a prime piece of land which poses “unlimited options” for the community She said there was great appetite for another large retirement home as well as discussions of a secondary school despite the Ministry of Education not being interested There has also been talk of more residential housing or community facilities for the site But while Skews is hopeful something will happen she isn’t holding her breath for development any time soon “It could be sitting idle for years to come we just have to wait and see what happens I suppose “What we’d really like to see is whoever does purchase it considers what the community needs and builds for people Locals were devastated in 2016 when the university decided the site was surplus to requirements because the community used facilities there including a gymnasium tennis and netball courts and a dance studio The ministry had previously hoped to buy some of the land but negotiations broke down with the university the ministry understood it was exclusively negotiating for land under the Public Works Act while the university thought that process had finished and wanted to list the site on the open market The site was then sold to Ryman Healthcare in 2017 Ryman Healthcare’s decision to put the land back on the market comes after the company published its full-year result to March 31, 2024. It increased total revenue by 18% to make $689.9 million but reported net profit after tax plummeted from $257.8m to just $4.8m. which is New Zealand’s largest listed retirement owner-operator said the results showed a turnaround was under way Higher revenue came from the company providing more hospital-level care and reaping more money from deferred management fees set at 20% of purchase prices – the money it retains when people leave their places due to illness or death But the impacts of impairments and other one-off costs ($283.9m FY23: $175.4m) and a lower fair value gain on investment properties led to a plunge in net profit after tax There was an impairment loss of $37.6m for the Karori site and a sale was expected within 12 months Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 and is interested in politics, local issues and the public service. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz or messaged on X (formerly Twitter) via the handle @ethanjmanera The country's busiest commercial builder secured $1.2 billion of work last year Twelve-year-old William Walmsley, who has been missing since Saturday night giving his worried family a small sign of hope told RNZ that a friend had received a text from William a few hours ago he said he met some other kids that had run away in the Wellington CBD and he'd gone back to one of the family members' houses Andrew said it sounded like three kids had been involved and that one of them had organised the idea of running away after an argument "We'd been unaware of that until quite recently He'd been in town with the same friends on Saturday for a little bit He hadn't come home when he was supposed to so we'd started trying to get in touch with him Walmsley said it seemed William had blocked their numbers it just seemed to go straight to voicemail I could see the messages weren't being seen or received either." He said this behaviour was unusual for his son "It was really hard to guess what might have been going through his head This sort of behaviour was largely out of character My assumption was that it had gone on a little too long and he was just really worried about how much trouble he was going to be in "It was more likely he'd either made friends with someone or met someone he knew Which made me think someone in Wellington would know where he was Andrew said there had been no big issues before William went missing "He was a pretty impulsive kid and certainly no angel he gave us more than his fair share of trouble at school and things William said his son was tall and lanky and could easily have been mistaken for a 14- or 15-year-old Police had followed up on all possible sightings and were asking anyone with information to come forward The site of an old church in the Wellington suburb of Karori now a regular community market and food truck hub St John’s Church on the corner of Karori Rd and Campbell St was demolished in 2017 because of seismic concerns Wellington City Council has chosen Stratum Management to develop 20 new homes and three commercial units on the site Eight two-level apartments are proposed to sit above the commercial units Twelve two- and three-level townhouses are planned for the back of the site Stratum Management director Craig Stewart said the company expects a high-quality hospitality offering on the ground floor While negotiations for the site have been under way a farmers’ market and food trucks have been brought in to liven up the empty space with some locals expressing their disappointment on social media about the development plans But the Karori Business Association was pleased with the news “Modern commercial spaces are so appealing This truly will help to invigorate the area,” the association said on social media Wellington City Council chief planning officer Liam Hodgetts said the developers had a strong track record with previous projects “This development is timely with a growing demand for affordable housing but the other benefits are significant as the site is also within walking distance of the town centre Hodgetts added the development was sustainable and integrates te ao Māori design Stratum is offering $10,000 grants to some first-home buyers looking to purchase one of the apartments or townhouses Last year, the Herald revealed original developers Voxell Architecture and Faislander Group were forced to pull the plug on their plans to develop the site because of rising costs They had been wanting to build 40 one- and two-bedroom units Wellington City Council terminated the agreement as both felt the impact of inflationary pressures and rising interest rates Azaria Howell is a Wellington-based multimedia reporter with an eye across the region She joined NZME in 2022 and has a keen interest in city council decisions public service agency reform and transport Water is back on in the Wellington suburb of Karori but there is an outage in a number of streets in the city's northern suburbs a water main burst overnight but on Saturday morning Wellington Water said the repair had been completed and service had been restored A bulk water tanker was made available to affected Karori residents while the water was out Wellington Water now said it was investigating reports of no water in some parts of the suburbs of Wilton At midday it said it understood the outage was affecting the following streets: Wellington Water said it was investigating the issue The capital has had a string of water failings in recent times. The previous incident to this was a burst water main on a major traffic route in the CBD Wellington Water chief executive Tonia Haskell stepped down earlier this month in the wake of a scathing report with inadequate systems and processes and a dysfunctional culture The cost of fixing the city's pipes could see other council spending scaled back, Mayor Tory Whanau said earlier this year Data released under the Local government Official Information Act in July showed Wainuiomata was the leakiest suburb with a large number of problems also reported in Trentham The cost of fixing the water network has been estimated in the several billions of dollars Tonia Haskell is leaving the role after it was revealed it took staff four months to tell the region's councils about a $51m budget error Some Wellington City Council projects could be delayed to help fix the capital's leaking water pipes Wainuiomata is the leakiest suburb in the Wellington region new data from Wellington Water has revealed Wellington Water says its up to the council how much it actually wants to spend Wellington’s Waterside Karori have appointed Marty Rodwell as head coach of their Women’s Central League side and as the club’s women’s and juniors director of football Rodwell (45) moves to the capital after a successful season as director of football at Fencibles United who won the 2024 Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship title and earned promotion to the Northern League Fencibles United had also won promotion to the 2024 Lotto NRFL Women’s Premiership after steadily building their women’s development programme Rodwell was to have rejoined his former club Manurewa after his departure from Fencibles READ MORE: New role for Marty Rodwell after return to Manurewa from Fencibles United >>>> who finished runners-up in the 2024 Women’s Central League and were runners-up in the Women’s National League READ MORE: Auckland United claim national title after beating CF Waterside Karori in grand final >>>> The Wellington Phoenix have appointed experienced coach Tory Schiltgen to a new wide-ranging role at the club Schiltgen joins the Phoenix as the women’s team’s second assistant and analyst for the upcoming women’s A-League season and will coach the club’s U-18 women’s team at the academy next year She’ll remain in charge of Waterside Karori for this year’s Women’s National League Championship having guided Wharfies to back-to-back top-two finishes in the Central League Schiltgen moved to Wellington in 2018 and was the inaugural director of the women’s and girls’ programme at Olé Football Academy and head coach of Western Suburbs women’s Central League team She also led Upper Hutt City’s women’s team before joining Waterside Karori Phoenix director of football Shaun Gill said: “Tory comes highly regarded by Waterside Karori and we couldn’t be happier that we’ve secured her signature “She will complement Paul Temple and Amy Shepherd in the women’s first team coaching set-up and will be a great asset at the academy next year when she coaches the women’s under-18 side.” Tory Schiltgen is looking forward to getting started with the Phoenix “I’ve always wanted to progress my career forward into a professional setting and the Nix have done so much to move the women’s game forward in a very short amount of time,” Schiltgen said the more I want to continue getting better and I’m really looking forward to working with players and staff of this calibre “The club have been incredibly flexible about helping make my commitments with Karori and my two young daughters work That gave me comfort in terms of stepping into this role and balancing the commitments required of it it was clear where he’s aiming to move the team and environment this year and I’m pretty excited about being a part of that shift.” She is also pleased she’s still able to coach Waterside Karori in the upcoming National League “That was definitely a huge factor in my decision-making because I feel like I’ve had such a journey with this team and I love the connection I have with the players “It would have been very hard for me to step away from those women because they’re a huge part of who I am and how I work as a coach “I want to say a massive thank you to Waterside Karori The entire club from the women’s space all the way down to the junior community has been nothing but supportive through all the work we’ve done this year “And the executive team has been fantastic about navigating this transition to ensure every area of the club gets the support it needs to keep growing and evolving.” Tory Schiltgen will join the Phoenix women ahead of the start of pre-season training later in September The club have also appointed Tyron Curtis to a new assistant analyst role working across both the women’s and men’s environments in support of head analysts Tory Schiltgen and Jordi Manning This story was first published on September 10 The web app you have attempted to reach has blocked your access. Photo / Supplied- The penthouse at 22 Karori has sold for around $17m - Another apartment in the same block was bought for just over $10m An off-market deal for a luxury penthouse overlooking Waitematā Harbour appears to have smashed New Zealand’s apartment sale price record OneRoof can reveal that the top floor of the newly completed boutique development 22 Karori in the rich-lister Auckland suburb of Orakei Another apartment in the same block has also been bought for just over $10m with the developer telling OneRoof he has four properties left for sale in the $11m to $12m price range The luxury six-apartment block at 22 Karori has four apartments still up for grabs director of the developers Countrywide Properties told OneRoof the apartments were bought off-the-plan He declined to disclose the identity of the buyers A sale price of around $17m is likely to eclipse the $16.5m record price achieved by the penthouse of the Elm another Countrywide development on Remuera’s Orakei Road OneRoof reported a $17m off-the-plan sale of an apartment in the Victoria Lane development on Remuera’s Victoria Avenue in 2022 but the sale has yet to appear in public records - Kāinga Ora sells off three tiny cottages worth more than $2m each - Mansion on elite street: Six times the size of an average house but it will cost you $20m-plus - $11.6m to live above a train station - penthouse for sale in ‘vertical village’ Sullivan built 22 Karori after purchasing two neighbouring properties on Karori Crescent for around $8m Construction on the development started in 2022 and Countrywide is only just bringing the remaining four apartments to market “We really wanted to complete it before we took it to market beautiful product and we wanted people to see it in all its glory rather than off-the-plan,” Sullivan told OneRoof said the four apartments boasted the same floor plan and views but the two on the ground floor came with lawns and gardens 22 Karori’s apartments have views across to Okahu Bay Countrywide has just completed the $15m sale of one of the penthouse apartments in One Saint Stephens which it built in partnership with Experiences by Coopers Sullivan said there were two apartments still available for sale in the luxury block: another penthouse “We originally had a much larger penthouse on the front and then decided that $22m to $23m was a bit on the high side There are not many buyers [in that price bracket] so we split it,” Sullivan said “People struggle a bit to get their minds around the value of an apartments versus a big house The beauty of a block of six [like 22 Karori] is that it’s got a very small body corporate – people like that.” those expressing interest in 22 Karori have been locals downsizers from Auckland’s eastern bays looking for a lock-and-leave lifestyle - Click here to find more properties for sale in Auckland Alexis Cook and Charlotte Roache celebrate a 2 - 1 victory over Souther United FC that has seen them qualify to defend their title in the 2024 National League Championship Grand Final With just one round remaining in the National League we’re thrilled to announce that Auckland United FC has secured their spot in the Grand Final on Sunday Auckland United has shown once again why they’re the team to beat With the knowledge that a draw at home against Southern United would be enough to seal their place in the final our players kept their cool and delivered a dominant performance at Keith Hay Park with both goals coming from our prolific striker Charlotte Roche was all we needed to secure our place in yet another Grand Final and give ourselves the chance to defend the title we won in 2023 we’re focused and determined to take on the challenge in front of us The Grand Final will be a chance for our talented squad to build on the success of last season and show the strength and resilience that has brought us this far Our opponents in the Grand Final will be CF Waterside Karori who have had a strong campaign of their own and with whom we drew 1 - 1 back in Round 1 With tickets now available for the Grand Final we invite all our supporters to join us at North Harbour Stadium for what promises to be an unforgettable clash covering both the women’s and men’s matches supporting Auckland United FC as we aim to make history once again 2024 Women’s National League Championship | Grand Final Join our mailing list now and we’ll send you a weekly edition the AUFC newsletter We’ll be in touch soon with the next edition of our weekly newsletter Auckland United Football Club Incorporated Privacy Policy - Contact - Refunds - Resources Data obtained from Facebook and Google were collected as evidence by police investigating the death of Rau Tongia and Pania Ella Waaka have all pleaded not guilty to the murder of Tongia who the Crown alleged was shot in the back while he slept at a house in Wellington's Karori in December 2020 the Crown alleged he assaulted Weston and his death was a revenge killing Hunt-Weston has pleaded not guilty to additional charges of an accessory after the fact to murder and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm A fifth person was due to go on trial but has not appeared due to health issues police have given evidence on data they received from Facebook and Google Police sergeant Scott McKendry told the court that data points from Google Maps placed Pania Waaka's phone outside the address on Percy Dyett Drive where Tongia was killed around 4.30am that morning McKendry said data points further tracked the phone travelling to Halswell Lodge and out to Waiwhetu in Lower Hutt after 5am CCTV footage shown to the court last week identified Breeze Hunt-Weston and Pania Waaka getting out of the car at the Waiwhetu BP after 5am that day Letizea Ord questioned how far the radius for those data points expanded The sergeant said the question would be better asked to a colleague of his A woman who was in the house the night Karori man Rau Tongia died says she woke to what sounded like fireworks Paramedics said it was obvious Karori man Rau Tongia had been dead some time when they arrived A trial over the death of Karori man Rau Tongia has begun Wellington police are being accused of downplaying their response when they arrested the victim on the night of his death Police have used CCTV footage - including from Premier House - as evidence in a murder trial in the High Court in Wellington The web app you have attempted to reach has blocked your access The Women’s Central League season spluttered into action last weekend with four of the 10 teams playing their season openers The still-to-be-completed Ford Futsal SuperLeague has been having a major impact on most teams with players participating on the futsal courts as well as starting their season in the 11-a-side format No team has probably been more impacted than Palmerston North United and they went down 0-3 to Taranaki side Moturoa last weekend Moturoa have clearly learned plenty from their return to the top league last year A hat-trick from Sasha Rasmussen led the way and the result suggests they will be a side not to be taken lightly this year well-drilled and prepared Wellington Phoenix Academy side proved too strong for Waterside Karori who have lost a number of senior players this year playing Wellington United Diamonds at home and with the Nora Watkins Shield on the line Karori need to win or draw against the 2024 league champions READ MORE: Football loses pioneering women’s player and coach Nora Watkins >>>> Wellington United’s squad has seen a few changes over the summer Sarah Alder and Fran Grange hanging up their boots including the promising Georgie Furnell (20) who has moved from the Phoenix suggest the Wellington United side will be competitive again newly promoted Miramar Rangers face a trek to the Hawke’s Bay to take on Taradale while Palmerston North United host the Phoenix Academy Warren Olson is a Wellington-based enthusiast for and long-time follower of women’s football Tongia was killed on Percy Dyett Drive in the early hours of 20 December, 2020. A murder trial is under way in the Wellington High Court over his death, with five women accused of being involved The Crown alleges Tongia was shot while he slept Four of the five women accused - Shayde Weston Louise Kelly Hume and Pania Waaka - on Monday pleaded not guilty to murder The fifth defendant was not present due to health reasons The Crown has alleged that in the hours before his death Tongia assaulted his alleged killer Shayde Weston He then got into a fight with Weston and her half sister Breeze Hunt-Weston with Hunt-Weston hitting him with a hammer Paramedics from Wellington Free Ambulance said they received a callout about 8am on the day in question One of the first paramedics to respond said he observed that the patient's jaw was stiff Another said his pupils were not reacting to light The paramedics also recalled seeing a significant amount of blood on Tongia's mattress the left side of his torso and a large wound on his back The police officer in charge of securing the scene where Tongia was found said there were visible injuries and blood all over the body Scott said particles found in the torso during the postmortem indicated a shotgun had been used to kill Tongia Environmental Science and Research scientist Dr Helen Poulsen who examined a blood sample from Tongia's body found the presence of alcohol tetrahydrocannabinol and gamma hydroxybutyrate The alcohol was well above the legal limit measuring at 143 milligrams per 100 millilitres The legal limit is 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres A neighbour who lived next door told the court he saw police at Tongia's address and a beaten up woman by the house when he arrived home in the early hours of the morning He said Tongia's partner went down the drive to speak with the woman and after some yelling Tongia followed He said Tongia later came back up the drive angry A man last year was convicted in relation to the Tongia's death found guilty possession of a firearm and sentenced to four-and-a-half months' community detention and 12 months' intense supervision There was anger in the Wellington High Court today at a man who was sentenced in relation to the death of a Karori man Defending champions Auckland United have won the grand final of the Women’s National League The victory means a clean sweep for United in 2024 who add the National League trophy to the OFC Champions League the Kate Sheppard Cup and the Lotto NRFL Women’s Premiership Head coach Ben Bate’s squad finished the 2024 calendar year unbeaten in 41 outings and they have now gone 49 games without defeat in a run that stretches back to the 2023 season The win at Albany’s North Harbour Stadium means United get the chance to defend their OFC Women’s Champions League title next year Main photo: Auckland United … four trophies and unbeaten in 2024. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek The defending champions got off to a flying start in the grand final when age group international Pia Vlok struck after only 90 seconds Vlok (16) created space for a long-range shot that goalkeeper Annie Foote reached but could not control and the ball dropped into the Wellington side’s goal who scored United’s winner in September’s Kate Sheppard Cup final doubled her side’s lead after 11 minutes when a defensive lapse left her in the clear and able to shoot into an empty net United defender Chelsea Elliott hammered a direct free kick past the defensive wall but Foote was well-placed to make the save Rene Wasi almost made it 3-0 when her shot from the edge of the area was tipped onto the post by Foote and the ball ran agonisingly across the face of the goal CF Waterside Karori finally started to get into the game and looked dangerous on a couple of quick breaks and the half finished with United 2-0 ahead CF Waterside Karori started the second half with high energy and looked dangerous on the break But United hit back with a third goal in the 51st minute when Wasi fired the ball into the danger zone and Foote’s save fell into the path of Roche the Wellingtonians gave themselves hope when Nikki Furukawa scored from a corner dinking her shot over the heads of defenders Vlok almost scored her second of the final when she hit the post with a well-controlled shot from the edge of the area in the 64th minute Auckland’s Danielle Canham shaved the top of the crossbar with a looping shot CF Waterside Karori ‘keeper Foote kept her team in the game with a triple save in the 75th minute saving from Wasi and then twice denying substitute Kaley Ward United head coach Ben Bate went to his bench for the latter stages of the game as his team managed the game and striker Roche whose goals clinched for her the League’s Golden Boot The only late scare came in stoppage time when Kendall Pollock headed a corner goalwards for United ‘keeper Hannah Mitchell to scramble the ball off the line ended the final seven minutes into added time the teams and spectators observed a minute’s silence in honour of legendary referee Les Coffman who died on November 22 READ MORE: Football farewells much-decorated and respected referee, Les Coffman >>>> Auckland United will represent New Zealand at the 2025 OFC Women’s Champions League tournament in Tahiti United will defend the OFC title they won this year in the Solomon Islands FIFA plan to introduce a FIFA Women’s Club World Cup to match the revamped 32-team men’s competition due to start in the United States next year and it’s likely Oceania’s first representative will be based on which club has the best record in the seasons leading up to its launch Danielle Canham (Alaina Granger 89′) This story was first published on December 1 Ryman Healthcare has bought the property and will convert it into a retirement village Victoria University is pushing ahead with the controversial sale of its Karori campus inking a deal to sell the ageing property for retirement homes The Ministry of Education transferred the campus to the university for just $10 in 2014 But the university has since decided it was "surplus to requirements" and put it on the market The successful bidder has now been revealed as Ryman Healthcare which plans to convert the land and buildings into a retirement village It will have independent and serviced apartments There's no word on how much Ryman Healthcare paid Victoria vice-chancellor Professor Grant Guilford said all bids were assessed against community outcomes and commercial arrangements The university said it didn't get any offers for the campus buildings from public sector organisations there had been a well-publicised dispute between the university and the Ministry of Education the university said it hadn't received any "workable offers" from the ministry Ryman group development manager Andrew Mitchell said they were delighted to secure the site "It is an iconic site in the city's largest suburb and we're pleased it will continue to be a significant community asset for the city Mitchell said he expected the community would be interested in the development plans The university said the money from the sale would be used for strengthening its remaining buildings and for ensuring modern facilities for its Faculty of Education in the future The sale comes after the Herald revealed last month that because the campus was being sold within five years of the transfer from the government, the university should have been obligated to pay 20 per cent of its profits back to the Crown former Finance Minister Steven Joyce and former Tertiary Education Skills and Employment minister Paul Goldsmith decided to give the university an exemption Victoria University chief operating officer Mark Loveard said a letter from the former ministers wished the university well in its endeavours to make use of its assets to provide a safe learning environment for students and staff The move to sell has been consistently criticised including some who claimed the university was only selling because of pressure from long-term underfunding The Crown has given its closing statement in the long-running Karori murder trial Four women are on trial for the death of Rau Tongia who died in his Karori home in December 2020 and Pania Ella Waaka all pleaded not guilty to the murder of Tongia who the Crown allege was shot in the back while he slept at a house in Wellington's Karori in December 2020 A fifth woman was also set to go on trial charged with murder but was excused due to health reasons Hunt-Weston also pleaded not guilty to two other charges The trial at the High Court in Wellington was initially scheduled to begin on 13 May and was set down for eight weeks spearheaded by Crown Prosecutor Sally Carter Carter said the evidence was clear that Tongia was shot in the back while he was lying in bed Carter said Tongia was shot around 4.36am on 20 December 2020 Carter said the Crown's case was that it was Hunt Weston's car that was driven to Tongia's address the car was driven by Waaka and that Weston went up the stairs to the ranch slider door carrying a firearm that came from Hume's address The Crown alleged the death was a revenge killing after Tongia had assaulted Weston earlier in the night Carter said witness testimony suggested Weston had talked about killing Tongia prior to going to his address and both Waaka and Hunt-Weston were aware she had the firearm before she made the trip to Karori Carter said CCTV footage showed Hunt-Weston's car leaving Halswell Lodge shortly after the woman with name suppression sent texts to Weston that suggested she wanted Tongia to die Hunt-Weston's car is tracked to Percy Dyett Drive arriving around 4.36am and leaving a short while later Carter said a selfie of Weston and Waaka was then taken around 4.52am Google Maps data from Waaka's phone also showed she looked up directions to the street the Crown alleged that texts between Hume and the fifth woman were evidence of a gun being organised Carter suggested Hume's address was a place that was known to be where firearms were available Hunt-Weston and two other women visited Hume's address after Weston was assaulted and had been collected from Percy Dyett Drive and Carter said the Crown believed this was when the gun was picked up Hunt-Weston is also on addition charges for hitting Tongia in the head with a hammer when picking Weston up from Percy Dyett Drive following her altercation with Tongia Hunt-Weston has admitted to hitting Tongia with the hammer in order to defend Weston who was allegedly being attacked by Tongia again the Crown argues as the women who went to the address came with weapons that behaviour was more consistent with being the aggressors Defence counsel for each of the defendants are set to make their closing statements in the coming days said Weston did not have any shotgun residue on her said her client had no idea someone had even taken her car or what they were going to do said her client had not knowingly or willingly become involved in the shooting said Hume denied any involvement in arranging or providing a firearm A defendant in the Karori murder trial says she did not supply the gun which killed Rau Tongia Police already believed one of the accused had killed Rau Tongia despite messages from another woman declaring she wanted to kill Tongia A witness in the Crown's case who has previously been sentenced for her role in the death of Rau Tongia claims she can't recall many details from that time Police intercepted a number of calls in the weeks following Rau Tongia's death Google Maps data was used to pinpoint the location of those accused of murdering Rau Tongia in December 2020