WELLINGTON, July 15 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's own version of the Statue of Liberty may soon welcome visitors at the entrance to Auckland Harbor, according to Auckland Mayor Phil Goff on Sunday.
The structure of the Earth Mother in Maori tradition, proposed by Ngati Whatua Orakei Trust and part-funded by the Auckland Council, would stand 30 to 50 meters tall on the historic headland of Bastion Point. That would make it as big as, if not bigger than, the New York icon, which is 46 meters, said the mayor.
Maori people has conceived it as Auckland's version of the Statue of Liberty, visible in lights at night from across the city, with stunning views from downtown, the North Shore, and from ships and ferries, Goff said.
It has the potential to be "an iconic symbol of Auckland" and will reflect the unique culture and identity of the country's largest city and be enjoyed equally by Maori, the wider community and international visitors, he said.
Auckland Council has approved 1 million NZ dollars (676,000 U.S. dollars) in its 10-year budget for initial design and development of the proposed structure. It is anticipated that council funding will be supported by other funding contributions, the council said.
The visualization of the proposed statue has not been released.