We, the undersigned citizens of Victoria and supporters of common-sense policy, call on the Victorian Government to immediately reverse the classification of machetes as prohibited weapons and stop the criminalisation of every day law-abiding Australians who use them for legitimate work and recreation.

The recent decision by the Victorian Labor Government to classify machetes as prohibited weapons is misguided, unproductive, and a violation of common-sense governance and overlooks the overall cause of violent behaviour.

Machetes are widely used by farmers, gardeners, bushcrafters, campers, and tradespeople across regional and suburban Victoria. They are essential tools, not inherently dangerous weapons in the hands of responsible citizens.

This policy by the Labor government.

Criminalises ordinary people, forcing them to surrender useful tools or risk fines and jail.

Does nothing to deter actual criminals, who will simply ignore the law or switch to other easily available tools such as axes, hammers or a stick.

This ban strains trust between the public and government, appearing more as a power grab to control the population further and a revenue raising tactic than genuine crime prevention.

Banning machetes won’t stop violent offenders. If anything, it distracts the public from real solutions like:

Tougher sentencing for violent armed crime, 

Tougher bail laws for repeat offenders,

Better youth crime intervention and education,

And fair, racially unbiased law enforcement that doesn't run in circles to catch these criminals only to let them out to re-offend.

This is not a safety policy — it's a political move that makes victims out of good people while failing to deal with the root causes of violence.

We demand that the Victorian Government:

1. Reverse the machete prohibition order immediately, or provide broad exemptions for agricultural, trade, bushcraft, and recreational users or instead of a blanket ban, limiting the sale to people under the age of 21 or a criminal record.

2. Refocus to crime prevention policies and tough bail laws for violent offenders and repeat criminals;

3. Stop the creeping disarmament of everyday Australians through symbolic bans that serve no practical benefit;

4. Support our citizens to protect our families and ourselves with common sense self defence laws.

5. Acknowledge that the government serves its people, and should not use lawmaking to expand its power over them, Blanket ban's don't work.

✍️ SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION IF YOU BELIEVE:

✅ The government should focus on crime and tough bail laws, not tools.

✅ Common sense should guide policy, not political theatre and revenue raising.

✅ Law-abiding people shouldn’t be punished for the actions of criminals

✅ Machetes overall are tools, not weapons, when used responsibly.

✅ We must say no to creeping tyranny under the guise of “safety” and push for "Castle law" and common sense "self defence laws" in Victoria.

The real issues are:

Volent behaviour not a tool in this case a "machete".

Parents are unable to discipline their children.

Mass immigration as well as cultural incompatibility in some cases not all.

Weak bail laws and consequences especially for repeat offenders, either young or old.

Lack of housing - job opportunities essentially leading individuals to crime. 

Lack of education and accountability for one's actions  dispite age, culture, religion, disability, identity.