Students from three major Rotorua schools will assemble at the Village Green today to march for climate change awareness.

Rotorua Lakes councillors, most protesters in a bygone age, applauded the action taken by pupils from Rotorua Girls' High School, Western Heights High School and John Paul College.

Led by Councillor Tania Tapsell, the council's strategy, policy and finance committee was told the ‘strike' was a collaboration by students nationally, triggered by an awareness of a student named Greta who had protested for several days outside parliament in Wellington.

Some 150 local students had registered for an assembly at 2pm, the time adjudged as least disruptive to a school day.

Following a march, they plan to advance toward the council chambers to meet with local councillors at 3pm.

Invitations had been sent to councillors and board representatives.

'They would like to come to council and present to the elected members here as well,” says Tania.

'Essentially, for the young people of all sorts of stripes and movements this is a very positive one with a lot of positive energy behind this; they're really looking forward to being heard and being received by elected members.

'It would mean a lot to them to be here at the council.”

One elected member, Mayor Steve Chadwick, may be absent as she is out of town, but who was trying to readjust her flight times, says Tania.

Councillor Trevor Maxwell offered congratulations, adding, 'This is one march I would love to have been on, having accepted many in the past”.

Councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait had wondered if the students could be received in the debating chamber.

'This is where we do our work,” she says. 'They are serious about the issue, if they could be seen in here...

Meeting chair Karen Hunt says she would let Tania work with the staff.

'We would not only have a full house, but a full gallery,” she said.

Deputy mayor Dave Donaldson commented a report on a television morning programme over 'strike action”.

'For my part good on them, if they're passionate about it.”

Councillor Charles Sturt says the event will go down as an 'affirmative action” by young people to take hold of an issue they believed should be taken seriously.

'They will be presenting their views or a written precis of what they're trying to achieve. As many of us who can attend should attend. And I will be there.”

But it seems unlikely the council will breach protocol to receive the students within the debating chamber.

'The students will be quite happy to stay outside,” says Tania. 'Given the precedent we've had with other strikes, I thought it would be inappropriate to allow them [in the chamber] when we've had other strikes as well. We've decided out of respect to the precedent – the students are happy to be outside.

'I'm proud to say, hand on heart, we are one of the leaders in New Zealand on climate change. We are still starting to develop the plan. We are leading New Zealand here in Rotorua, though we have a big job ahead of us.”