MELBOURNE, Australia. The state of Victoria is set to ban the sale and possession of machetes beginning Wednesday, following a violent gang fight in a Melbourne shopping mall that left a young man seriously injured.
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan announced the new measures on Monday, just one day after a clash involving eight machete-wielding individuals broke out in a suburban shopping center. A 20-year-old man sustained serious injuries during the incident, and police have since arrested and charged four suspects.
“I will introduce as many laws as needed to get these dangerous knives off the streets,” Allan said during a press conference. “We will be bringing in place a ban on the sale of machetes here in Victoria, and this ban will be in place from midday on Wednesday. Under consumer powers, Victoria will be banning machetes from being sold anywhere in the state.”
The prohibition will apply to all machetes, broadly defined as knives with blades longer than 20 centimeters (almost 8 inches), although kitchen knives will not be included in the ban.
Victoria is currently the only Australian state or territory planning such a comprehensive restriction on machetes. In addition to the sales ban, the possession of machetes will also become illegal starting September 1, with limited exceptions. Violators could face up to two years in prison and fines exceeding 47,000 Australian dollars (approximately $30,700 USD).
Authorities have also announced a three-month amnesty period to allow residents to safely surrender machetes at police stations or designated drop-off bins without facing penalties.
The move follows similar legislation in England and Wales, where possession of machetes and certain other bladed weapons was banned in September 2023.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
