Wangaratta will be one of 40 homes to a machete disposal bin during a two-month amnesty period, with the community urged to safely dispose of the weapon. The bin will be located at Wangaratta’s Handley Street police station from 1 September until 30 November. There will also be bins stationed at Wodonga and Shepparton police stations. From the start of September, the possession and sale of machetes without a valid exemption or approval will be banned in Victoria. Anyone caught owning, carrying, using, buying, or selling a machete could be charged. Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Police Anthony Carbines revealed a machete safe disposal bin for the first time last week. The heavy-duty steel bins are roughly 900 millimetres by 1200 millimetres in size, with a 70-millimetre concrete base to ensure they are secure and have feet to allow for safe removal. Mr Carbines said the government was backing Victoria Police, who worked tirelessly to get these weapons out of young people’s hands and keep people safe. “Our message to anyone with these weapons is simple – get rid of them or face the consequences,” he said. A public awareness campaign launched which called on Victorians to surrender their machetes during the amnesty or face up to two years imprisonment or a fine of more than $47,000. Agricultural workers who use machetes as part of their job and machetes that are used in a traditional, historical, or cultural capacity will be exempted. Anyone covered by an exemption must comply with strict conditions and be able to demonstrate eligibility if asked by police. The government ordered machetes off shelves with an interim sales ban announced in May, which led to Amazon removing them from sale across the country. Since then Consumer Affairs Victoria inspected more than 470 retailers to enforce the ban – with only seven stores and one market vendor found to be breaking the law. Further details are available at vic.gov.au/machete-amnesty.
