Phil Goff takes control of Auckland Domain World War I memorial

The original World War I memorial project planned for the Auckland Domain by Wellington-based Wraight-Athfield architects and landscape designers. Image / Supplied

A World War I memorial at Auckland Domain has been handed to a new body to see if it can be designed, funded and completed in time for the 100th anniversary of the Great War's end.

This follows a political stoush that culminated with Mayor Phil Goff using his powers to relieve command of the project from councillor Mike Lee.

Goff told today's governing body meeting he was setting out to get the project back on track, but acknowledged it remained a challenge.

The reason I reluctantly intervened is we had no design for the memorial, no designer and had lost the opportunity to raise funding

Phil Goff, Auckland Mayor

Lee, who chairs the Auckland Domain committee, which oversaw the project up until today, said "this is not a happy occasion for me".

"I'm over all the insults, and it is personal," Lee said.

"This is about the Auckland War Memorial Museum. It's about the Domain. It's about the people of Auckland," said Lee, saying the memorial covered a huge area of 704sq m and would cause major disturbance to an ethnological and geological site of major importance.

Goff said there was nothing personal about him taking the project off the Auckland Domain committee, "but the reason I reluctantly intervened is we had no design for the memorial, no designer and had lost the opportunity to raise funding to complete the project".

The memorial is budgeted to cost $3 million, of which the council has $1.4m available.

In early 2016, the governing body selected the Wraight Athfield design, Te Takuaki - The Hearth, for the memorial to the people who remained at home and lost loved ones in the Great War.

The goal is to complete it for the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI in November next year.

The Domain committee was given delegation to oversee the project, but relations soured over design issues with Wraight Athfield, who walked off the job two months ago.

After a lengthy debate, the governing body voted 14-5 to revoke any and all previous decisions of the Domain committee and hand over the project to a mayoral advisory group to make recommendations to the governing body.

An amendment to put Lee on the mayoral advisory group was defeated.

Goff said when he asked Wraight Athfield why they walked away, they told him it was because of irreconcilable differences with Lee and could not carry on working with him.

"I want a fresh start," said the mayor.