The Tasmanian Government is taking strong action to prohibit machetes and restrict knife sales for minors as part of the next stage of its crackdown on knife crime.
Consultation is underway on the Police Offences Amendment (Knives and Prohibited Weapons) Bill 2026, which builds on the success of Reid's Law, which has given Tasmania Police stronger powers to detect dangerous weapons and remove them from our streets.
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Felix Ellis, said the Government was focussed on keeping Tasmanians safe.
"Reid's Law is delivering results - helping police get dangerous weapons off our streets before they can cause harm," Minister Ellis said.
"Through our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future, we're taking further action to prevent weapons getting into the wrong hands in the first place.
"These reforms will prohibit the sale of knives to people under 18, except for legitimate purposes.
"Retailers will be required to securely store knives, display warning signs about age restrictions, and keep records where a knife is sold to a young person under a lawful exemption."
New offences will also be introduced for people who provide false proof of age or false information when attempting to purchase a knife.
Minister Ellis said Tasmania did not want to see the types of machete-related incidents surging on the mainland.
"We've seen frightening machete attacks become more common on the mainland and we're acting now to ensure Tasmania doesn't follow that path," Minister Ellis said.
"This Bill will strengthen Tasmania's prohibited weapons laws, by prescribing machetes and prohibiting their supply, manufacture, sale and possession."
Information on consultation and a copy of the Bill are available at: https://www.police.tas.gov.au/consultations/
