Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Politics
Callum Godde

Hunt for machete killers amid calls for immediate ban

Victoria's opposition wants a proposed machete ban to be immediately implemented. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

A political fight is brewing over speeding up an Australian-first machete ban after another slaying involving the deadly weapon.

The Victorian government will move laws in state parliament this week to ban the sale and possession of machetes from September 1 to combat their rising use.

The proposed ban came too late for a 24-year-old man, who was stabbed to death on Friday night by a machete-wielding group near the Marriott Waters Shopping Centre in Melbourne's southeast

The victim from Clyde was in a Lyndhurst car park when he was ambushed by up to 10 men, with some carrying machetes.

He was rushed to hospital, where he later died.

The man was the fourth person to perish in a machete-related murder in Victoria over the past six months.

His killers remain on the run.

Machetes on display (file image)
Machetes have been used in four recent killings in Victoria. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

The state opposition has seized on the brutal murder, declaring it will move to amend the government's legislation to make the machete ban immediate.

Victorians could not wait another six months for the weapons to be outlawed as there would be more home invasions, carjackings and murders in that time, Opposition Leader Brad Battin said.

"We need to make sure that we don't see the murder that we saw on Friday night again with machetes on our streets," he told reporters on Sunday.

"We need to make sure that families aren't waking up and seeing young offenders in their house with machetes."

Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin (file image)
Brad Battin says Victorians can't afford to wait months for a machete ban. (Diego Fedele/AAP PHOTOS)

Victorian minister Harriet Shing said the Lyndhurst attack was devastating and machetes would have no place on the streets under the ban, although there would be limited exemptions for hunting and agriculture.

She indicated the state government was not considering bringing forward the ban or accompanying amnesty period, which would run from September 1 to November 30.

"When the UK introduced this ban it took them around 18 months. We intend to do that ban in six months," Ms Shing said.

"I'm looking forward to receiving confirmation from the leader of the opposition that he would support these provisions when they come before the parliament this week."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.