Victoria Rolls Out Machete Amnesty Before Ban Begins

Offenders face up to two years in jail or $47,000 fines.

Machetes on display during an announcement at Victoria Police Headquarters in Melbourne, Australia on March 13, 2025. AAP Image/James Ross

On the eve of Victoria’s total machete ban, Premier Jacinta Allan unveiled 40 secure disposal bins across the state, encouraging residents to surrender the weapons before the new laws take effect.

From Sept. 1, it will be a criminal offence to possess, sell, purchase, or carry a machete without valid authorisation. Offenders face up to two years’ jail or fines exceeding $47,000.

The amnesty, running until Nov. 30, gives Victorians a window to legally dispose of machetes.

The new heavy-duty steel bins—measuring roughly 900 by 1200 millimetres with a 70-millimetre concrete base—will be stationed outside police stations and accessible 24/7.

A statewide awareness campaign launched this week warns of the legal consequences of non-compliance.

Exemptions apply to those who require machetes for agricultural work or use them for cultural, historical, or traditional purposes, but strict conditions apply and proof may be required.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan at the Melbourne West Police Station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on July 31, 2025. AAP Image/Joel Carrett

Retail Crackdown Nets Few Violators

To limit availability, the Victorian Government introduced an interim sales ban in May, prompting major retailers like Amazon to pull them from the market nationally.

Consumer Affairs Victoria inspected over 470 stores, finding just seven retailers and one market vendor in breach.

“These knives destroy lives—so we’re taking them off the streets,” said Allan, defending the ban as a key step in curbing weapon-related violence, especially among young offenders.

Youth Crime Drives Offence Spike

The crackdown follows a string of violent incidents involving youths, and aligns with a broader crime surge.

The Crime Statistics Agency reported 627,268 criminal offences in the year to March 2025—up 17.1 percent from the previous period.

Arrests hit record highs, with 75,968 made over the 12 months—an average of 208 arrests per day.

Police claimed this marked the third straight quarter of record-breaking arrest numbers since electronic tracking began in 1993, and likely the highest in Victoria Police’s 172-year history.

The five fastest-rising offences were property-related, driven by economic hardship and mounting cost-of-living pressures.

These included a 39.3 percent increase in theft from motor vehicles, a 49.6 percent rise in number plate theft, a 38.6 percent jump in retail store theft, and a 20 percent uptick in other thefts—most commonly involving stolen petrol.