Australia’s dystopian descent into weapon prohibition continues as a new machete ban proves gun control was just the beginning of extensive government overreach into citizens’ rights.
Key Takeaways
- Victoria, Australia will implement a total ban on machete sales starting May 28, 2025, with a possession ban following on September 1, 2025.
- Penalties are severe: individuals face up to 2 years imprisonment and $47,000 AUD in fines, while non-compliant retailers could be fined up to $200,000 AUD.
- The ban follows a pattern of escalating weapons prohibition that began with gun control and now extends to tools with legitimate uses.
- Working professionals who need machetes for their livelihoods must apply for exemptions, further increasing government control over everyday activities.
- This regulatory overreach serves as a warning to Americans about the slippery slope of allowing government restrictions on constitutional rights.
Australia’s Expanding Weapons Prohibition
The Allan Labor Government in Victoria, Australia has announced a comprehensive ban on machetes, marking yet another step in the country’s expanding regulation of weapons and tools. Beginning at noon on May 28, 2025, the sale of machetes will be completely prohibited across Victoria, with a full possession ban following on September 1. This sweeping regulation defines machetes as knives with blades longer than 20 centimeters, excluding kitchen knives, and will classify them as prohibited weapons under the Control of Weapons Act. The legislation arrives after what officials describe as a record number of knife seizures in 2024, and follows a violent brawl involving machetes at a Melbourne shopping mall.
Premier Jacinta Allan has been unapologetic about the government’s actions, declaring war on these tools despite their legitimate uses. “I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives,” said Premier Jacinta Allan, Victoria’s Government. This emotional rhetoric masks the troubling reality that many Australians use machetes for practical purposes in agriculture, outdoor activities, and land management – all of which will now require explicit government permission to continue.
First, Australia banned guns. Now it’s machetes & knives. At this rate, Australia’s going to need a license for a butter knife.
After a recent machete attack in a Melbourne shopping center, the Australian government did what it always does—ban the tool instead of addressing the… pic.twitter.com/lYXpi7YTcj
— Colion Noir (@MrColionNoir) June 10, 2025
Draconian Penalties and Government Control
The penalties for non-compliance reveal the authoritarian nature of this legislation. Individuals caught with machetes after the possession ban takes effect could face up to two years imprisonment or substantial fines up to $47,000 AUD. Retailers who fail to immediately comply with the sales ban face even more punitive measures, with potential fines reaching an astronomical $200,000 AUD. These penalties are wildly disproportionate to the offense of owning what is essentially a farming and outdoor tool, demonstrating the government’s willingness to criminalize ordinary citizens while failing to address the root causes of violent crime.
“We introduced Australia’s toughest bail laws, we’re toughening bail for knife crimes and expanding random knife search powers – now we’re ordering machetes off shelves and banning their possession,” said Minister for Police Anthony Carbines, Victoria’s Government.
An amnesty period will run from September 1 to November 30, 2025, allowing Australians to surrender their machetes without facing legal consequences. This surrender program, with secure disposal bins at select police stations, completes the disturbing picture of government confiscation of private property. Workers who rely on machetes for their livelihoods, such as farmers and field laborers, will be forced to apply for exemptions beginning September 1, placing them at the mercy of government bureaucracy to continue their work. No exemptions will be granted during the interim sales ban period, leaving many legitimate users without recourse.
A Warning for Americans
Australia’s progression from gun control to knife control should serve as a stark warning to Americans about the dangers of government overreach. What began as restrictions on firearms has predictably expanded to include more common tools, validating concerns that gun control is merely the first step toward broader weapons prohibition and greater government control over citizens’ lives. The machete ban demonstrates that once a government tastes the power to restrict citizens’ rights in the name of “public safety,” that power is rarely relinquished and often expands in scope and severity.
“Machetes are farm implements. As such, most countries don’t classify them as weapons. Most overland travelers carry one in their vehicle, as they are useful tools when off-road, around camp, and for self-defense,” said Bryon Dorr, GearJunkie Motors Editor.
The Australian government’s emphasis on community safety rings hollow when examining the actual impact of such bans. Criminals willing to engage in machete brawls, carjackings, and home invasions are unlikely to be deterred by sales prohibitions or possession bans. Instead, law-abiding citizens are stripped of tools with legitimate uses and potentially the means of self-defense. This pattern of disarming the law-abiding while failing to address the criminal element represents the fundamental flaw in progressive approaches to violence reduction, and underscores why Americans must remain vigilant in defending their constitutional rights against similar encroachments.
