Parents have been urged to hand in their children’s machetes and knives at amnesty bins as part of an Australian-first ban.
A total of 45 police stations across Victoria will have the machete disposal bins set up for a three-month amnesty from September 1.
Carrying one of the deadly long and broad-bladed knives will be outlawed from that date, adding to an already operating sales ban with some exemptions.
Flanked by Premier Jacinta Allan and Police Minister Anthony Carbines, Assistant Commissioner Brett Curran said children made up 25 per cent of knife-crime offenders in the state.
“We want to get those machetes and knives off these children,” he told reporters at Melbourne West Police Station on Thursday.
“These bins provide an opportunity for families who might be concerned about the things their kids have to get those machetes, knives … out of the reach of their children.”
An average of 44 machetes, knives and blades are taken off Victorian streets each day.
Some 14,805 edged weapons were seized in 2024, with another 8900 confiscated by police to date in 2025.
Melbourne will host most of the disposal bins across the city at 24-hour police stations with CCTV.
They will also be placed at stations in Ballarat, Bendigo, Echuca, Geelong, Horsham, Mildura, Morwell, Sale, Shepparton, Swan Hill, Wangaratta, Warragul, Warrnambool, Wodonga and Wonthaggi.
Police won’t be easily fooled by knife-carrying offenders stopped in the street who falsely claim they’re heading to an amnesty bin.
“Our police are really smart – they’ll know and test that kind of statement,” Mr Curran said.
“The outcome of that will be that we’ve got the knife anyway.”
A national gun buyback was instituted by the Howard government after 35 people were killed in the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
The 12-month scheme lead to the surrender and destruction of more than 650,000 firearms.
Mr Curren said no incentive was needed to encourage Victorians to forfeit blades, pointing to people caught after the ban facing up to two years in jail or a fine of more than $47,000.
Ms Allan said a public awareness campaign begins this week to spread word of the amnesty.
“Machetes destroy lives,” she said.
Saurabh Anand became the latest high-profile victim of an alleged machete attack in Victoria on July 19.
The 33-year-old was allegedly attacked by a group of teens and had his phone stolen as he walked home from an Altona Meadows pharmacy.
His left hand required surgery after it was almost severed, with four teens aged 14 to 15 charged.
A fight between machete-wielding rival gang members at Melbourne’s Northland Shopping Centre in May also sent shoppers running for their lives.
In response, the state government fast-tracked its machete sales ban.
A compliance task force has since conducted 545 inspections online and in stores, on top of inspecting about 2400 market stalls in weekend operations.
Another nine unannounced inspections have been carried out on stores across the Altona region since the alleged attack in the area.
In total, five fines have been issued and the Consumer Affairs Victoria task force is weighing further action.
Source: AAP
