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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 13 Hansard (25 November) . . Page.. 4587 ..

MR SMYTH: Certainly, Mr Speaker. Minister, as the chair of the National Capital Authority is actually on this committee and as the NCA program hasn't been finalised, why did you make this decision before you were certain that Australia Day would be celebrated appropriately in the ACT?

MR WOOD: I referred to the recommendations made to me. I examined them. So I am taking responsibility for them, Mr Smyth. I have established a process. I am satisfied with the outcome of the process. There has been, I understand, some communications between the Australia Day in the National Capital Committee and the NCA. I have spoken informally to an NCA person.

The situation is entirely in the hands of the Australia Day in the National Capital Committee. If they can get their act together and come up with a good funding proposal, there is support for that sort of venture. They need to focus on what they want to do.

Callam Street-pedestrian access

MRS CROSS: My question is to the Minister for Planning, Mr Corbell. Minister, what provisions have been made in the Woden town centre master plan for the restoration of a safe and convenient pedestrian connection between the retail core area and the Phillip business district, following the recent closure of part of Callam Street?

MR CORBELL: I thank Mrs Cross for the question. The draft Woden town centre master plan identifies a range of connections across the town centre for both pedestrian and vehicular use. The particular element that Mrs Cross is referring to, links between the town centre proper and the Phillip mixed trades or business district area, do include pedestrian links. The draft plan is now being further discussed with stakeholders, including representatives of the Phillip business district. I would anticipate that any outstanding concerns will be addressed through that process.

Violence against women

MS MacDONALD: My question is to the Minister for Women. Today, as you know, is United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Can you please inform the Assembly of what the ACT government is doing at a local level to address the issue of violence against women?

MS GALLAGHER: Today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a day for all in the community to reflect on the impact of violence against women in our society. Women's activists have marked 25 November as a day against violence since 1981. The date was chosen to commemorate the lives of the Mirabal sisters, political activists from the Dominican Republic who were violently assassinated in 1960. In 1999 the United Nations designated 25 November as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The day marks the beginning of 16 days of activism against gender violence. This global campaign is held from 25 November until 10 December and encompasses World AIDS Day, the anniversary of the Montreal massacre in which 16 women engineering students were killed for being feminists, and Human Rights Day. The 16-day period highlights the

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