MACHETES will soon be banned in Victoria.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Police Anthony Carbines recently joined Acting Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police Rick Nugent to announce Australia’s first-ever machete ban, plus a huge expansion of knife-search powers and changes to bail laws.
The ban comes after a record number of knives were seized from Victorian streets in 2024, and incidents of crime featuring machetes and sharp weapons rose to concerning levels.
Under the change, machetes will be classified as a prohibited weapon from September 1, 2025. There will, however, be exemptions for agriculture or hunting, with the framework for eligibility yet to be determined.
Ms Allan emphasised the life-saving importance of the ban, stating that community safety was a priority for the State Government.
“Machetes are destroying lives so we will destroy machetes,” she said.
“The places we meet can’t become the places we fear. I am listening and I am acting, with Australia’s toughest bail laws and Australia’s first machete ban.
“Under my government, community safety comes first and there are consequences for breaking the rules.”
Similar to the national firearms amnesty which began on July 1, 2021, a knives amnesty will begin on September 1. During this time, weapons will be able to be disposed of at drop-off points around the state, likely at police stations, without penalty. However, unlike the firearms amnesty, which is a permanent program, Victorians will only have three months to dispose of their weapons, with the program ending November 30.
The definition of a machete is likely to be further clarified before the ban comes into effect, as it is currently broadly described as a blade of more than 20 centimetres. The State Government will consult with authorities on this definition to ensure kitchen knives are not included.
Once the ban is in place, anyone caught with a machete, like any other prohibited weapon, will face penalties of two years imprisonment or a fine of over $47,000.
The premier has since called on major retailers to stop placing stock orders for machetes, while the State Government discusses the future of machete imports with the Federal Government and explores the possibility of a national ban.
In addition to the machete ban, the State Government will amend the Terrorism(Community Protection) and Control of Weapons Amendment Bill to allow police to search an area for weapons for a longer period of time.
Currently, the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police can declare a location like a train station or a shopping centre as a designated search area, allowing police to search people for weapons without a warrant and seize items.
However, under current law, this can only be done so for 12 hours at a time. The amendment will provide the Chief Commissioner with the power to extend this timeframe for up to six months.
These extra powers will also build on Victoria’s new Tough Bail Laws, which will target repeat high-risk offenders by creating new offences such as committing an offence involving controlled weapons (including machete violence), prohibited weapons offences, and offensive weapons offences.
The new bail laws will additionally ensure that community safety becomes the overarching principle for bail decision-making for offenders of all ages. It will also remove section 3B of the Bail Act, which currently only allows youth offenders to be remanded as a ‘last resort’, enabling decision-makers to deny bail at any stage.
Tougher bail tests will also be introduced, making it difficult for repeat offenders and those who have committed serious crimes to be released on bail, no matter the age of the offender.
