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An Australian-first machete ban may be ineffective in stemming the tide of knife crime, with thugs likely to ignore it or turn to substitute weapons.
The Victorian government will move laws in parliament to ban the sale and possession of machetes from September 1 to combat their rising use.
Under the legislation to hit the upper house next week, those caught carrying a machete would face up to two years in prison or fines of more than $47,000.
Natalia Antolak-Saper, a senior lecturer in law at Monash University, said the proposed ban might reduce visibility but was unlikely to significantly deter determined offenders.
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“This proposal feels more like a response to political optics (i.e. visible weapons, media-fuelled crime anxiety) than a comprehensive crime prevention strategy,” Antolak-Saper told AAP.
She pointed out that people carrying machetes with the intent to commit crimes are probably already disregarding existing weapons laws.
“Offenders may simply substitute machetes with other weapons, such as knives, bats, or tools, which raises concerns about displacement, not deterrence,” Antolak-Saper said.
Machetes were made a controlled weapon in March 2024, meaning they could not be possessed, carried, or used without a lawful excuse, or be sold to anyone under 18.
But the Allan government has repeatedly blocked opposition moves since 2023 to introduce an outright machete ban.
AAP
