Dozens of police stations amongst 45 drop-off points in Victoria to dispose of soon-to-be illegal machetes amid spike in knife crime

Sky News AU

2 days ago

Dozens of police stations in Victoria will become drop-off points for machete-wielding owners as the state becomes the first to implement a ban on the weapons.
Locations of the drop-off points have been revealed ahead of a three-month amnesty to dispose of the soon-to-be illegal weapons, which from September 1 will be criminalised in Victoria, resulting in jail terms or fines of up to $47,00.
The Herald Sun has revealed 45 locations across metropolitan and rural Victoria where the broad, heavy knives may fill-up the heavy-duty metal bins outside police stations in prominent crime spots.
Some of the locations include Prahran, Footscray, Dandenong, the city of Casey and the City of Geelong which have been riddled with home invasions and knife crime.
Preston Police station will also form a drop-off point for the weapons after the suburb saw a violent knife crime incident following a violent brawl out at a shopping centre in May.
Northland Shopping Centre in Preston was plunged into lockdown on May 25, when a machete-wielding fight broke out between rival gangs, forcing terrified shoppers to hide in stores.
The same day in South Melbourne, a woman was shot dead by police after officers responded to reports of a man brandishing a machete on Cecil Street.
This year police have seized a record number of illegal weapons from the streets of Victoria with an average of at least 44 knives confiscated each day.
Police have previously said the number of knives seized this year is expected to exceed 2024 figures of a total of 14,805.
The Allan government's landmark ban on the weapons apply to to all "cutting-edge knifes with a blade of more than 20cm".
The three-month amnesty is expected to run from September 1 to November 30, meaning people who own machetes can surrender their knives without facing a penalty or committing an offence.
Ms Allan previously said the ban has been introduced to "choke the supply of these dangerous items as much as possible" before the permanent outlaw of machete possession comes into effect.
The Premier along with Minister for Police Anthony Carbines visited the Melbourne West Police Station on Thursday to reveal a machete safe disposal bin for the first time and re-iterate the ban.
"These knives destroy lives - so we're taking them off the streets," she said.
"Victorians have zero tolerance for knife crime and so do we - we're enacting this ban and boosting Victoria Police's powers because community safety always comes first."