The museum section of the plan, reworded yesterday, described how the combined option would deliver a museum and library at a lower cost to the council than building a separate museum and library in Willow St.
''However, tangata whenua have expressed their strong view that a Willow St location is not aligned with their aspirations.
''Without their support, external funding would be unlikely which would significantly increase the cost to council.''
The biggest provider of external funding would be the Government.
The council voted 6-4 against Baldock's bid to narrow the consultation options to yes or no for a standalone museum.
The debate followed a presentation to the meeting by Buddy Mikaere (Ngai Tamarawaho) who said he was disappointed to see the combined museum and library option was on the table.
Mikaere said he thought it had been made perfectly clear that Maori leaders did not support the combined option in Willow St, and that without their support Government funding was not going to happen.
''I am flummoxed as to why this option is still being pursued.''
He said there was great disappointment and frustration at ''this ongoing circus'' when the community was begging the council to get on with a museum.
''Seize the day councillors and please don't let us down.''
Mikaere referred to a disputed area of the Civic Block covered by the library that was originally put into trust for the welfare of Maori by the Church Missionary Society in the 19th century, before being taken by the Crown and subsequently the council. Ngai Tamarawaho would be pushing that issue very hard with the council, he said.
Baldock said the decision had been made in December to go out for consultation on a stand-alone museum in Cliff Rd.
However, chief financial officer Paul Davidson said they wanted to create some flexibility around the options. If they could not progress the Cliff Rd site, the council would have nowhere to go.
Baldock responded that people could say what they liked when they filled out the consultation. He disagreed with councillor Bill Grainger who cited an American report that the future lay with combined museums and libraries.
He said Ken Gorby, a foremost international museum expert who visited Tauranga recently, told him that all the talk about integrated facilities had not resulted in a single example being built.
Councillor Steve Morris said it was a bit disingenuous to say that tangata whenua did not support Willow St. A survey on the location of the museum saw the majority of people who identified themselves as Maori backing the downtown.
He was told that Maori leaders had made it really clear that Cliff Rd was supported by iwi elders of Tauranga Moana.
Councillor Rick Curach said putting the additional options would add a level of complexity but it would make it clear for those with a strong preference for a combined facility.
Those who supported consulting on both options were councillors Leanne Brown, Rick Curach, Bill Grainger, Catherine Stewart, Steve Morris and Mayor Greg Brownless. Opposing were councillors Kelvin Clout, Larry Baldock, Max Mason and Terry Molloy.
Museum options costs
Standalone museum: $55.7m (council share $20.7m and external funding $35m)
Combined museum/library: $82.3m (council share $44.6m and external funding $37.7m)
Annual residential rate impact: $67 (standalone) and $93 (combined)
