Victoria Brings Forward Ban on Machete Sales After Violent Knife Brawl

The measure comes under Commonwealth consumer law, which allows state ministers to impose temporary sales bans on dangerous goods.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan reacts during the budget lock up in Melbourne, Australia, on May 20, 2025. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

The Allan government’s interim ban on the sale of machetes has been brought forward to May 28 following a violent knife fight between rival gangs in Melbourne’s Northland Shopping Centre.

A broader ban on possession will follow on Sept. 1.

The measure comes under Commonwealth consumer law, which allows state ministers to impose temporary sales bans on dangerous goods.

“When the interim sale ban is declared on Wednesday, a supplier (e.g. a retailer) must not supply the banned item for sale or possess them with the intent to sell during the banned period,” the government said in a statement.

Victoria’s move comes after a violent, pre-arranged brawl involving machetes at the Melbourne shopping centre on May 25.

Up to 10 individuals clashed around 2:30 p.m., leaving at least one person injured.

Shoppers hid inside stores as police locked down the centre. Two people, including a 15-year-old boy, were arrested. Authorities allege the confrontation was planned between rival groups.

The sale ban will apply to all machetes—defined as knives with blades over 20 centimetres—and excludes kitchen knives.

Retailers holding excess stock have been told to store it safely until the start of the disposal, amnesty, and exemption schemes in September.

Non-compliance may attract criminal charges.

Premier Jacinta Allan said she was determined to keep machetes off Victorian streets.

“I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives,” she said.

Possession Ban To Carry Stiff Penalties

From Sept. 1, anyone caught with a machete without a valid exemption will face up to two years in prison or fines exceeding $47,000.

Exemptions will be available for those with legitimate uses, including farmers and hunters, who must apply for approval.

The government acknowledged that some legitimate users would be unable to buy machetes during the interim ban despite qualifying for future exemptions, but insisted public safety must come first.

Authorities have seized a record number of knives from the state’s streets this year.

In response, the state amended the Control of Weapons Act on March 19 to outlaw the sale and possession of machetes. The ban also builds on Australia’s strictest bail laws and expanded police powers for random knife searches.

“The purpose of the interim sale ban is to dry up the supply of these items as much as possible before the possession ban comes into place,” the government said.

Crackdown Follows Surge in Crime 

Victoria moved to ban machetes in December 2024, becoming the first state to do so after a spate of violent incidents involving the weapon.

The push followed a home invasion in Black Rock, Melbourne, where machete-wielding burglars stole two cars while residents were asleep.

Victoria has been grappling with increase in crime. According to police data for the year ending September 2024, overall offences rose by 13.4 percent to 578,762 offences.

Among the key contributors are 68,042 car thefts, including stolen number plates and power tools. Retail theft has also risen sharply, driven by inflation and cost-of-living pressures.

These new measures are seen as a necessary step in addressing public safety concerns and curbing violent crime in Victoria.