Victoria's Machete Amnesty Program Sees 12,357 Blades Surrendered

A total of 12,357 machetes and "other knives" — including butter knives — were surrendered to special bins in Victoria as part of a government-led amnesty program. The bins were placed at dozens of police stations across the state, allowing residents to safely dispose of the blades.

Amnesty Program Details

The amnesty program, which cost $6.55 million to implement, was launched in September 2025, following a ban on machetes. The program included 75 blue bins manufactured by inmates at a privately run prison in South Australia, operated by G4S. The government paid G4S $925,000 to manufacture the bins and install them outside police stations.

The bins were manufactured in three batches over 30 days and trucked to Melbourne in lots. A sample catalogue of items disposed of in the bins shows that butter knives were among the dumped items, along with "anomalous content" like kitchen scissors. Guns and axes were also surrendered.

Program Costs and Criticism

Documents released under Freedom of Information laws reveal that the initial estimated cost of manufacturing the bins was $139,000, but design changes and GST pushed the cost up. The contractor's proposal estimated the total cost of its work would be between $865,500 and $1.2 million.

The opposition had criticized the government's program, making claims about its cost and usefulness despite having called for the ban. A Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson said the amnesty was delivered on time and under budget, "with the remaining unspent funds redirected to additional police and Protective Services Officers (PSO) in shopping centres to keep Victorians safe".

Ongoing Efforts to Combat Knife Crime

Victoria Police had advised the government that if its machete ban included an amnesty, infrastructure such as surrender bins had to be installed. "Surrender bins prevent individuals walking into police station reception areas with machetes and other edged weapons, which creates significant safety risk and public alarm," a Victoria Police spokesperson said.

Victoria Police said its officers had since seized more than 11,200 knives, machetes and other illegal blades so far in 2026. Premier Ben Carroll has since introduced further anti-knife crime measures, including by borrowing another Coalition commitment to give police greater search powers.