Tauranga City Council has changed its mind on offering additional support for an exhibition telling the ‘narrative' of the Battle of Gate Pa at the Greerton Hall.

At yesterday's council meeting, councillors made a resolution to support in-kind civic and educational events, being planned by the Gate Pa Charitable Trust, that are associated with next month's 150th commemoration of the battle.

This comes after a plea for additional council help to stage an exhibition telling the ‘narrative' of the Battle of Gate Pa at the hall was refused by the council's Community Development Committee earlier this month.

On March 11, former councillors Terry Molloy and Mary Dillon, and the Te Papa style audio visual display's producer Tereora Crane, put a request to excuse the Greerton Hall's $7700 rental for the month-long exhibition to the committee.

The request was made during a public forum presentation of the Gate Pa Commemoration Trust's plans for the 150 year anniversary of the battle in April.

Councillors were split over whether to hand the whole submission to city council CEO Garry Poole, or to refer it to the March 17 council meeting.

Councillor Gail McIntosh said council is already putting aside $32,000 for the commemorations in the annual plan. She was supported by fellow councillor Catherine Stewart, who described the request as a 'little bit on the hoof.”.

Friday's the council moved to support the event in-kind, at the CEO's discretion.