After earlier plans for a walk bridge across Lake Burley Griffin collapsed, Immigration Place Australia proposed a monument at a new "Immigration Place" instead, where people could celebrate migrant history.

The government, through the National Capital Authority and the Canberra National Memorials Committee, supported the project and reserved a site adjacent to the National Archives off Kings Avenue.

In March 2015, artist Callum Morton won a design competition with an "abstract artwork of intersecting waves". It was chosen from five contenders. At the time, it was reported the maximum budget for the project was $5 million and that there was no firm timeline for construction.

But the project has since stalled, and Immigration Place Australia, a not-for-profit, has lost the site. The National Capital Authority said sites were generally reserved for three years, after which proponents must demonstrate that progress had been made before a site reservation can be continued.

The site had been reserved until the end of 2016, a spokeswoman said. Since the completion of the design, the authority had sought to contact the Immigration Place committee to determine the status of the project.

The committee had not responded.

But Immigration Place Australia treasurer and company secretary Emmanual Notaras said he was not aware of any attempt by the National Capital Authority to contact the group.

He said the project was still on the agenda but progress had been slowed by changes to the committee's membership. Since the site was allocated, two chairmen had stepped down due to age and two board members had passed away. The project also needed federal funding.

"Right now, I'm trying to see if I can get some sort of support from the government because, in my own view, it can only happen if we can get some Commonwealth funding for it," Mr Notaras said.

"The project is needing funds to carry on but it’s just a case of me and like-minded people keeping it and hopefully when we get past the next election we’ll be in a position to make representation to the government to assist us with the finance side of it."

The original proposal was to build a $30 million bridge across Lake Burley Griffin to honour Australia's migrants. Money was raised by selling spots on the handrails of the proposed bridge showing people's names and family history, at a cost of $110 a spot. About 200,000 spots were to be sold. Immigration Bridge Australia has previously said it had sold about 6000 places, raising $660,000.

When the proposal fell over, the group said people could request their money back.

Mr Notaras said people that had requested their money be returned up until a certain time were given it back, and what was left over had been used for marketing and developing a project concept.