The ban on the sale and possession of machetes will soon be in effect.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Police Anthony Carbines recently visited the Melbourne West Police Station to reveal a machete safe disposal bin for the first time – and announce all the statewide bin locations.
“These knives destroy lives – so we’re taking them off the streets,” Premier Allan said.
“Victorians have zero tolerance for knife crime and so do we – we’re enacting this ban and boosting Victoria Police’s powers because community safety always comes first.”
“We’re backing Victoria Police who work tirelessly to get these weapons out of young people’s hands and keep people safe,” Mr Carbines said.
“Our message to anyone with these weapons is simple – get rid of them or face the consequences.”
From September 1, owning, carrying,
using, buying, or selling a machete without a valid exemption or approval will be a criminal offence.
More than 40 safe disposal bins will be available 24/7 at police stations across Victoria to allow people to safely dispose of machetes during the amnesty period, which will run from September 1 to November 30 2025.
The heavy duty steel bins are roughly 900 millimetres by 1200 millimetres in size, with a 70 millimetre concrete base to ensure they are secure and have feet to allow for
safe removal.
A public awareness campaign launched this week calls on Victorians to surrender their machetes during the amnesty or face up to two years imprisonment or a fine of more than $47,000.
Agricultural workers who use machetes as part of their job and machetes that are used in a traditional, historical, or cultural capacity will be exempted. Anyone covered by an exemption must comply with strict conditions and be able to demonstrate eligibility if asked by police.
To choke the supply of machetes, the Government ordered them off shelves with an interim sales ban announced in May.
This led to Amazon removing them from sale across the country.
Since then Consumer Affairs Victoria inspected more than 470 retailers to enforce the ban – with only seven stores and one market vendor found to be breaking the law.
The machete ban builds on the Labor Government’s other tough new laws to end the scourge of knife crime, including strengthening the bail test for knife offences and increased stop-and-search powers for Victoria Police – helping them seize a record number of weapons off our streets.
Further details are available at
vic.gov.au/machete-amnesty.
