Tasmania appears to be following in Victoria’s lead by enacting legislation to ban machetes – a move Shooters Union Tasmania has criticised as “ignorant and performative” while sounding the alarm about scope creep with regards to what is considered a “prohibited weapon”.
The Liberal Government, led by Premier Jeremy Rockcliff, have opened public consultation on the Police Offences Amendment (Knives and Prohibited Weapons) Bill 2026, which would essentially ban machetes in the island state for nearly everyone except a handful of “agricultural professionals”.
The Bill prohibits “the supply, manufacture, display, advertising, sale, purchase and possession of a prohibited weapon”.
Only machetes are explicitly defined as prohibited weapons; otherwise the term refers to “a thing, item or article prescribed as a prohibited weapon; [or] a class of things, items or articles prescribed as a prohibited weapon” – which is worryingly broad and lacking oversight, according to Shooters Union Tasmania president Phillip Bigg.
Mr Bigg said the proposed laws were badly thought out, clearly performative in nature, and were not addressing any actual issues in Tasmania.
“Police Minister Felix Ellis is completely out of touch with reality by even allowing this draft bill to see the light of day,” he said.
“Machetes are a necessary and legitimate tool for hunters, campers, 4WDers and many others in the community, and they or similar implements have been readily available from hardware stores in the state from the earliest days of European settlement.
“There is absolutely no genuine reason whatsoever to decide now, centuries later, that machetes are too dangerous for people in Tasmania to own.”
He said pretty much anything could be deemed a prohibited weapon under the bill, with no recourse available to regular Tasmanians.
“The bill’s vague wording and power to prescribe more items later opens the door to ongoing mission creep.
“Once you start banning common tools by possession, it becomes easier to expand the list without proper scrutiny.
“Little by little we are losing control of freedoms and rights under the guise of ‘public safety’, and this plan to ban gardening and camping equipment for no genuine reason is a perfect example of that.”
The proposed bill restricts the sale of knives to minors and Mr Bigg said this aspect was a legitimate public safety matter which he supported, provided the appropriate exemptions were in place for apprentices, farm workers and trainees.
“We need practical rules, not layers of bureaucracy and red tape that burden small businesses and genuine users,” he said.
“Tasmania does not have the violent youth crime issue that Victoria does, and even if it did, punishing hunters, campers, 4WDers and property owners for things criminals do, and will continue to do with other weapons, is not the answer.
“Focus on enforcing existing laws properly, education, and addressing the real drivers of youth offending.
“Blanket possession bans on common tools won’t stop criminals and will only punish responsible Tasmanians.”
Consultation on the Police Offences Amendment (Knives and Prohibited Weapons) Bill 2026 is open until 5pm on Thursday, August 13th; for more information (including the draft bill, the Consultation Information Sheet and information on how to make a submission) visit https://www.police.tas.gov.au/consultation/consultation-on-the-police-offences-amendment-knives-and-prohibited-weapons-bill-2026/.
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