Vision

In 1992 the Mabo High Court decision made irrelevant the declaration of terra nullius and agreed that Aboriginal sovereignty had never been ceded. Proper redress of the illegal invasion of Australia has yet to be seen.

Until redress and justice are addressed, all non-Indigenous Australians continue to benefit from the invasion of Aboriginal Australia. Not only governments but also all individuals and organisations have an obligation to do what they can to redress the wrongs of invasion and its effects.

Our vision for Pay the Rent is to acknowledge past injustices and give practical support to Aboriginal social justice projects and healing initiatives. Pay the Rent prioritises supporting projects which aim to strengthen cultural knowledge and heritage, language, education, community empowerment, break down racism, build understanding of Aboriginal ways of being, and enhance Aboriginal self-governance and self-determination.
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Pay the Rent is putting your money where your mouth is, to acknowledge Aboriginal sovereignty, support self-determination, and maintain a long term commitment to the aspirations of Aboriginal peoples. Pay the Rent is a grassroots independent initiative to give back to Aboriginal communities and show appreciation for the people, land and culture that non-Indigenous peoples live amongst.

Our short-term vision is to facilitate Pay the Rent in the Bundjalung region to fund programs for the empowerment of Aboriginal people and for the achievement of proper sovereignty processes for Aboriginal peoples.
Our long-term vision is to invite and assist other regions to establish their own Pay the Rent system, and to co-ordinate and promote the growth of these systems nationally. Our commitment is to respect regional boundaries, and observe proper protocol of Elders and community representatives, so that control of money spent is within Aboriginal communities.

Pay the Rent seeks to give non-Indigenous people the practical and meaningful opportunity to act on their strong feelings about the past and present injustices between Aboriginal and non-Indigenous people.

Download our Mission Statement

Download our Administration Procedures