Latest news with #Jacinta Allan
Fox News
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Australian state rolls out machete ‘disposal bins' ahead of ban
An Australian state has asked citizens to surrender machetes at disposal bins ahead of a statewide ban on the weapons aimed at combating knife crime. Australia's state of Victoria on Thursday announced that more than 40 machete disposal bins will be available at police stations across the state to allow citizens to safely get rid of the weapons without a penalty before the Sept. 1 ban begins. "Owning, carrying, using, buying, or selling a machete without a valid exemption or approval will be a criminal offense," the Victorian government said in a statement. The government is running a "Machete Amnesty" period from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 to support the safe disposal of machetes. Those who do not surrender their machetes during the amnesty period may face imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of more than $47,000 AUD ($31,725 U.S. dollars). "These knives destroy lives – so we're taking them off the streets," Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said in a statement. Victoria police have seized a record number of illegal knives from the streets, averaging at least 44 knives a day, Sky News Australia reported. Minister for Police Anthony Carbines said the government is backing Victoria Police to get the weapons out of the hands of young people to keep citizens safe. "Our message to anyone with these weapons is simple – get rid of them or face the consequences," Carbines said in a statement. Exemptions for those who can possess a machete include agricultural workers who use them as part of their job, along with machetes that are used in a traditional, historical or cultural capacity, according to the government. Individuals exempt must comply with strict conditions and be able to demonstrate eligibility if asked by police. The Victoria government said it had already issued a temporary ban on the sale of machetes in May, resulting in Amazon removing the weapons for purchase from its website.
CTV News
03-08-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Australian state rolls out ‘machete disposal bins' ahead of ban
'Machete amnesty' announced by state government in Australia before total ban takes effect. (Photo supplied by SUI). Australia's Victorian Government has set up a 'machete amnesty' in support of disposing machetes safely from Sept. 1 until November, as the southeastern state becomes the first to carry out a ban on the weapons. Machetes will be criminalized in Victoria on Sept. 1, following a series of violent knife crimes and home invasions, Sky News Australia reported. 'Owning, carrying, using, buying, or selling a machete without a valid exemption or approval will be a criminal offence,' a statement from the Premier of Victoria, Jacinta Allan reads. This could lead to jail time of up to two years, or fines of up to AUD$47,000 (CAD$41,000). Multiple police stations in the state will become drop-off points for the soon-to-be-illegal weapons, according to the government website. has also removed machetes for purchase in Australia, the statement says. 'These knives destroy lives – so we're taking them off the streets,' Allan says in the statement. '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.' Police have seized a record-number of illegal weapons in Victoria, including knives, since the beginning of the year, with an average of 44 knives confiscated each day, according to the Australian news outlet. Victoria first announced legislative changes to the Control of Weapons Act in March, making selling or possessing machetes illegal. The ban defines weapons as 'knives with a cutting blade longer than 20 cm,' and does not include knives used for cooking. Last August, an amnesty and compensation scheme for people who possessed 'zombie-style knives' and machetes was introduced in England and Wales by James Cleverly, the home secretary of U.K. at the time. The amnesty scheme was announced a month prior to the subsequent ban on the 'statement' weapons, BBC reported. The new legislation made owning, making, transporting or selling these weapons a criminal offence. According to Statistics Canada, there were 250 deaths in Canada due to knife crimes in the last year.
