Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Ministers statements: community safety

Nick STAIKOS (Bentleigh – Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Local Government) (14:29): I rise to provide the house with an update on the highly successful machete sales ban taskforce led by Consumer Affairs Victoria. In May this year the Allan government implemented a nation-leading interim ban on the sale of machetes, and it is this decisive action that has taken these dangerous weapons off the shelves. This action has dried up the market ahead of the permanent ban on machete possession in September, which is being championed by my colleague the Minister for Police. I want to acknowledge and thank the dedicated members of the taskforce who have been out on the ground working tirelessly to ensure compliance and to protect our communities. Their work has delivered real results.

Since the taskforce began, Consumer Affairs Victoria has conducted 467 in-person inspections of retailers, and I am pleased to report that we have seen strong compliance across the board, with more than 98 per cent of these inspections finding retailers are complying with the law. In addition, 2400 market stalls have been inspected during weekend operations, with only one machete being found, and it was confiscated immediately – a clear sign of the taskforce’s effectiveness. More recently, an inspection at the Corio weekend market, one of seven markets inspected in the last month, found no machetes for sale, which I know the member for Lara will welcome, and since 30 May our inspectors have also engaged with 78 different online platforms and retailers, with infringement notices issued against five smaller retailers. Even global giants like Amazon have responded, ceasing sales of machetes not only here in Victoria but across Australia thanks to this government’s actions. This government has zero tolerance for machete crime. We remain focused on the safety of all Victorians.