Machete sale ban to ‘choke the supply’ of deadly weapon
Melissa Meehan |
A wild brawl between machete-wielding gang members at a shopping centre has been the catalyst for an almost immediate Australian-first interim ban on the sale of machetes across one state.
VICTORIA FAST-TRACKS BAN ON MACHETE SALES:
* Brawling machete-wielding gang members sent a Melbourne shopping centre into lockdown on Sunday afternoon when the groups came together, leaving multiple people injured
* By 8am on Monday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced an interim ban within two days, stopping anyone from selling machetes across Victoria
* The interim ban will run until new laws classifying machetes as prohibited weapons come into effect on September 1
WHAT THE INTERIM BAN INCLUDES:
* Retailers will no longer be able to sell any form on machete, broadly known as a cutting edge knife with a blade of more than 20 centimetres, in Victoria from noon on May 28
* Those who do face being charged with a criminal offence
* Ms Allan said the purpose of the interim ban was to dry up the supply of machetes before the possession ban comes into place
MACHETE POSSESSION WILL BE BANNED TOO:
* It will be illegal to be in possession of a machete in Victoria from September 1, with few exceptions
* Law changes will reclassify machetes from controlled items allowed to be carried for legitimate purposes, to prohibited weapons that can only be carried with an exemption
* Kitchen knives are not included in the ban
* People caught carrying a machete could face up to two years in prison or fines of more than $47,000
* A three-month amnesty will run from the day the laws take effect, allowing people to dispose of the weapons in secure bins at police stations and other sites
* Exemptions will only be provided in limited circumstances, including for hunting and agriculture
KEY CRIME STATS THAT LED TO MACHETE BAN:
* More than 15,000 edged weapons were seized in 2024, a record in the past 10 years
* About 635 stabbings have occurred in the past 12 months
* Machetes were involved in 265 aggravated burglaries in the past 12 months
* Three homicides in the past six months have involved machetes
KNIFE LAWS AROUND THE NATION:
* It is illegal to sell knives to anyone under 18 in NSW, Queensland and South Australia
* Police have powers to wand or scan people for knives without a warrant in designated areas in NSW, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and the Northern Territory
* It’s illegal to have or wield a knife in a public place or school without a lawful excuse across the nation
AAP
