Machete Ban Begins in Victoria, Offenders Face $47,000 Fines

Machetes are now officially banned in Victoria and the government is now starting a campaign to get people to surrender their weapons.

Owning, carrying, using, buying or selling a machete without a valid exemption is now a criminal offence. Penalties up to two years in prison or $47,000 fines apply.

Machetes are large, broad-bladed cutting knives that can vary in shape and size.

This comes after the Terrorism (Community Protection) and Control of Weapons Amendment Bill 2025 was passed by parliament in March following a string of machete attacks.

The government implemented a temporary ban on the sale of machetes in stores and online in response to a violent knife brawl at Northland Shopping Centre on May 25.

In June, a teenager was stabbed at a petrol station in Victoria just weeks after the temporary ban on machetes in retail stores came into place.

“Machetes are banned in Victoria and anyone carrying a machete will face tough consequences,” Police Minister Anthony Carbines said on Aug. 31.

A Consumer Affairs machete taskforce has already undertaken 573 inspections in stores and online since the temporary machete ban came into force. It has also undertaken 2,400 market stall inspections.

This task force has seen a huge compliance rate, which the government said had dried up supply ahead of the machete ban.

Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos said the taskforce had clamped down on the sale of machetes, both in stores and online.

“Our Machete Taskforce has been diligent and effective in drying up in-store and online machete sales in Victoria through proactive monitoring of the market, physical inspections and responding to tip-offs,” he said.

Exemptions to the machete ban apply for agriculture workers using them for their job. In addition, there is an exemption for machetes with a traditional, historical or cultural significance.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan also drew attention to the machete ban with a post to X on Aug. 31.

“These weapons destroy lives and we’re taking them off the streets,” she said.

Government Encourages Victorians to Surrender Machetes

The government is encouraging Victorians to surrender machetes “safely and anonymously” at disposal bins at 45 police stations across the state between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30.

“Machetes can be dropped off at our Machete Safe Disposal Bins across metropolitan and regional Victoria,” Victorian Police said.

Machetes can also be surrendered over the counter at any police station.

Opposition Supports Machete Ban

The Victorian Opposition, led by Brad Battin, has expressed strong support for the machete ban.

In late July, Battin called on the government to make the machete ban a priority, even though a law had already been passed.

“Reports of masked thugs wielding machetes and storming suburban retail stores are deeply disturbing and put the safety of Victorians at serious risk,” he said at the time in a joint statement with Shadow Minister for Police David Southwick.

“Despite Labor passing legislation to ban machetes, they remain readily available on our streets. These weapons are still being used to commit violent crime. That is unacceptable.”

Battin and Southwick said that crime was spiralling out of control.

“The latest figures show an 18 percent rise in recorded offences, with a crime now committed every 50.3 seconds in Victoria,” they stated.

The Victorian Liberals are campaigning ahead of the November 2026 election with a focus on crime policy. On Aug. 29, Battin raised concerns that Labor was closing prisons.

“This isn’t leadership, this is ideology. Only the Liberals and Nationals will fix Labor’s budget blowouts to keep prisons open and crooks off our streets,” he said.

He also called for more policing on the iconic Chapel Street precinct in the suburb of Prahran.

“Prahran and much of Melbourne is seeing rising crime, falling foot traffic, and businesses struggling while staff and shoppers fear for their safety,” he said.

He promised to put more police on the beat.

“This cannot continue. Only the Liberals & Nationals will put safety first by getting more police on the streets, bringing in Break Bail, Face Jail reforms, and making real investment in crime prevention to stop crime before it starts,” he said.

The Victorian Opposition is also promising to introduce jail time for offenders who break bail.

“Victorians deserve to feel safe at home, at work and on our streets,” Battin said on Aug. 28.