‘Nothing has changed’: Allan govt machete ban bill failing to stop state’s terrifying knife crime

Despite the state government’s machete ban bill, Victorian residents and shoppers are still being terrorised by violent knife crime.

Deadly knife attacks are continuing to terrorise shoppers and residents, with claims that “nothing has changed” since the state government’s bill to ban machetes was introduced.

Police were in March given sweeping new powers to stop the sale of machetes to youth gang members in a move that attempted to control the city’s deadly knife violence. The amendment to the Control of Weapons Act, which came into play on March 27, clarified the definition of a controlled ­weapon, making it illegal to possess a machete without a lawful reason or to sell them to children.

But almost a dozen reported knife incidents at shopping centres such as Highpoint and Woodgrove since the changes were introduced has called the efficacy of those laws into question.

Woodgrove Shopping Centre stabbing victim Oscar Hamilton Picture: Supplied

A 15-year-old boy was this week charged over the alleged stabbing murder of Oscar Hamilton, 16, at a shopping ­centre in Melton West.

Opposition police spokesman Brad Battin said “nothing has changed” and teenagers were continuing to knife each other in public while scaring terrified shoppers away.

“Since the Allan Labor government voted down the Liberal and Nationals private members bill to ban the machete only to introduce their own watered-down version, we know nothing has changed,” he said.

“The community is still less safe, machetes are used ­constantly in violent crimes and police don’t have adequate powers to remove them from the streets or from sale at ­markets.”

Victoria Police has recently noticed an increase in the number of teens using machetes in public.

But Police Minister Anthony Carbines defended the new laws this week, saying officers were equipped with “very ­significant powers” to stop and search people suspected of ­carrying a weapon.

Police have noted an increase in the number of teenagers using machetes and crimes committed by children aged 10 to 17 have reached their highest point since 2010.

Les Twentyman Foundation general manager of programs Chris Lacey said: “Right now, due to state government cuts to these types of services, we have kids in this situation getting no support or waiting weeks of months for contact from a youth or social worker.”