A statue of Papatūānuku, the Māori earth mother, with a size large enough to rival the Statue of Liberty and Brazil's Christ the Redeemer has been proposed for Auckland's Bastion Point.

Auckland iwi Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei says, with the council's help, the statue could stand as tall as 50 metres above the entrance to Auckland's harbour.

"There's a range of different sources for that funding. [Auckland] Council will put something in. I think it'll be welcomed by our local community - of course by Māoridom - but also by international visitors. This could be iconic for Auckland," Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says.

However, it may be years before we see the statue.