**The move comes after a violent gang fight involving machetes at a Melbourne shopping centre left one man hospitalized.**
**Victoria Implements Urgent Machete Ban Following Violent Shopping Centre Clash**
**Victoria Implements Urgent Machete Ban Following Violent Shopping Centre Clash**
**New legislation set to prohibit machete sales aims to enhance community safety in Victoria.**
The state of Victoria is taking swift action to ban the sale of machetes starting Wednesday, an unprecedented move in Australia, following a violent encounter between rival gangs at a shopping centre in Melbourne that left a 20-year-old man in serious condition. The decision comes in response to a Sunday brawl at the Northland shopping centre in Preston, where the use of machetes was reported.
Premier Jacinta Allan announced the legislation, aimed at eliminating access to such weapons in public spaces and alleviating fears from the community and law enforcement alike. She stated, "The community shouldn't have to deal with these weapons in their shopping centres - neither should our police." The new law, which initiates this week instead of its originally planned September start date, will effectively "choke the supply" of machetes according to Allan.
In the wake of the incident, two minors, ages 15 and 16, have been charged with multiple offenses, including affray and possession of a controlled weapon, while two older suspects aged 18 and 20 were also taken into custody for questioning. The deputy commissioner of police, David Clayton, reported that the altercation was a premeditated attack between criminal youth groups, with no random victims involved, noting, "Fortunately, these events are not very commonplace in Victoria."
Witness accounts indicated that emergency services were alerted shortly after 2:30 PM on Sunday, following reports of a chaotic scene involving up to ten individuals. Investigations are ongoing, with additional arrests expected and police seizing three out of the four machetes allegedly used in the confrontation.
Allan condemned the violent episode, labeling it "appalling" during a press conference, emphasizing the necessity for public venues to remain safe zones for families and individuals alike. She highlighted, "We must never let the places where we gather become the places we fear." The rapid response from the state stands in contrast to the United Kingdom's lengthy process, which took 18 months to impose similar prohibitions on machete sales.
As part of the new legislation, the ban will define a machete broadly as any knife with a cutting blade longer than 20 centimeters, excluding culinary knives. In September, a three-month amnesty will commence, allowing individuals to surrender machetes to designated police stations without penalty. Police have also acknowledged the bravery of a local man who intervened during the brawl, holding one of the suspects until officers arrived, though they cautioned against public involvement in such dangerous incidents.
Similar restrictions are being enforced in England and Wales, where outlawing "statement" knives favored by gangs became law in September of the previous year.
Premier Jacinta Allan announced the legislation, aimed at eliminating access to such weapons in public spaces and alleviating fears from the community and law enforcement alike. She stated, "The community shouldn't have to deal with these weapons in their shopping centres - neither should our police." The new law, which initiates this week instead of its originally planned September start date, will effectively "choke the supply" of machetes according to Allan.
In the wake of the incident, two minors, ages 15 and 16, have been charged with multiple offenses, including affray and possession of a controlled weapon, while two older suspects aged 18 and 20 were also taken into custody for questioning. The deputy commissioner of police, David Clayton, reported that the altercation was a premeditated attack between criminal youth groups, with no random victims involved, noting, "Fortunately, these events are not very commonplace in Victoria."
Witness accounts indicated that emergency services were alerted shortly after 2:30 PM on Sunday, following reports of a chaotic scene involving up to ten individuals. Investigations are ongoing, with additional arrests expected and police seizing three out of the four machetes allegedly used in the confrontation.
Allan condemned the violent episode, labeling it "appalling" during a press conference, emphasizing the necessity for public venues to remain safe zones for families and individuals alike. She highlighted, "We must never let the places where we gather become the places we fear." The rapid response from the state stands in contrast to the United Kingdom's lengthy process, which took 18 months to impose similar prohibitions on machete sales.
As part of the new legislation, the ban will define a machete broadly as any knife with a cutting blade longer than 20 centimeters, excluding culinary knives. In September, a three-month amnesty will commence, allowing individuals to surrender machetes to designated police stations without penalty. Police have also acknowledged the bravery of a local man who intervened during the brawl, holding one of the suspects until officers arrived, though they cautioned against public involvement in such dangerous incidents.
Similar restrictions are being enforced in England and Wales, where outlawing "statement" knives favored by gangs became law in September of the previous year.
