Melb shops flouting machete bans: Deadly weapons for sale at less than $5 just hours after ban starts

A Herald Sun investigation has uncovered stores brazenly flouting the state government’s new machete sale ban, with the weapons available for as little as $4 and one shop selling three large knives for less than $18.

Brazen retailers are flouting the Allan government’s machete sale ban as the Premier faces mounting pressure over her decision this week not to fast-track the statewide ban on the dangerous weapon.

Jacinta Allan on Wednesday said she was open to bringing forward the ban, which would make it illegal to carry machetes, after a horrific knife attack at Northland Shopping Centre on Sunday first prompted her to implement a ban on the sale of machetes from 12pm on Wednesday.

But the statewide ban on possessing a large edged weapon – which is the first in the nation – won’t come into effect until September 1.

The Northland machete attack. Picture: Supplied

Large edged blades (machetes) were purchased by a Herald Sun journalist after Australia’s first-ever ban on machetes came into effect in Victoria. Picture: Mark Stewart

Ms Allan said she would consider bringing that measure in earlier pending police advice.

“If Victoria Police can come to us and indicate that the arrangements have been put in place, my door will always be open to any measure that strengthens community safety,” she said.

The Herald Sun understands the government is finalising a contract with a company to manufacture the drop-off boxes that will be used to store any large weapons that are disposed of by Victorians during the three-month amnesty period.

The government said the details of that contract are commercial in confidence.

Those amnesty drop-boxes will be installed outside more than 40 24/7 police stations around Victoria.

But Victoria Police says it warned the Allan government that the bins needed to be installed before the ban on machetes and the amnesty period began.

Questions have been raised about members of the public handing their weapons over to officers ahead of the official amnesty period without the announcement of dedicated sites by the time Wednesday’s ban came into effect.

Some of the large edged blades (machetes) bought by the Herald Sun on Wednesday. Picture: Mark Stewart

“Surrender bins prevent individuals walking into police station reception areas with machetes and other edged weapons, which creates significant safety risk and public alarm,” a Victoria Police spokesman said.

“The community should be in no doubt Victoria Police continues to invest significant energy and resourcing towards taking knives and machetes out of the hands of criminals.”

There were concerns that dangerous weapons would have to be stashed haphazardly at police stations until they could be removed and destroyed.

Sources also questioned how effective the ban would be in getting out of control young offenders to surrender their weapons and whether an outright ban on the possession of the weapon this week would have pulled more of them off the streets sooner, rather than the amnesty period.

Premier Jacinta Allan on Wednesday said she was open to bringing forward a ban, which would make it illegal to carry machetes. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Despite the ban coming into effect at midday on Wednesday, a Herald Sun investigation yesterday afternoon uncovered a slew of shops across Melbourne brazenly flouting the sale ban, selling machetes for as little as $4.

At least seven stores, including in Springvale and Richmond, were found to stock the weapon after 12pm, with one store selling three large knives for a total of just $17.70.

One shop near Springvale train station offered a 20cm blade for $4.90.

The knives were stocked in plain sight in the stores in cardboard boxes and on the floor and not secured behind locked glass cabinets as is common practice in many stores.

While the ban came into effect on Wednesday, Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos conceded a dedicated task force wouldn’t hit the ground until Thursday.

It comes as the government also ruled out a buyback scheme to compensate retailers for having to pull all their machetes from shelves or incentivise people to hand in their weapons.

“It is the law, that is the incentive,” he said.

Consumer Affairs Victoria will deploy a taskforce of 14 people to ensure that retailers across the state are complying with the regulations from Thursday.

Online retailers that sell machetes into Victoria will also be subject to the new laws.

Consumer Affairs Victoria executive director Nicole Rich said there would be a zero tolerance approach to retailers caught selling weapons.

But in some instances retailers might be given a warning – rather than a fine – depending on the circumstances.

Despite the government having repeatedly defined a machete to be at least 20cm in length, Ms Rich said there is “no formal requirement for a particular length”.

“I think people in the community understand what a machete is.”

Originally published as Melb shops flouting machete bans: Deadly weapons for sale at less than $5 just hours after ban starts