The Victorian government spent $3.6 million [1] on an advertising campaign to promote a ban on machetes and a related disposal-bin scheme.

This expenditure highlights the state's aggressive approach to reducing weapon availability through public awareness and legal reforms. The cost of the advertising exceeds the initial funding for the reforms themselves, signaling a priority on public compliance.

The Allan government introduced the machete reforms last year at a cost of $2.2 million [2]. These measures established a ban on the sale and ownership of machetes within the state of Victoria, Australia.

To facilitate the removal of these weapons from the community, the government installed 45 disposal bins [3] across the region. These bins were designed to allow citizens to surrender machetes without fear of legal repercussion during a specific window of time.

This amnesty period lasted for three months [4]. The window for the legal disposal of machetes ended in December [4].

The advertising spend of $3.6 million [1] was intended to ensure the public was aware of both the new legal restrictions and the availability of the disposal bins. By combining legislative bans with a funded communication strategy, the government sought to maximize the number of weapons removed from the streets before the amnesty expired.

“The Victorian government spent $3.6 million on an advertising campaign to promote a ban on machetes.”

The disparity between the $2.2 million cost of the reforms and the $3.6 million spent on advertising suggests that the Victorian government viewed public communication as the primary driver of the policy's success. By funding a high-visibility campaign, the state aimed to shift the cultural perception of machete ownership and ensure that the temporary amnesty was utilized to its full extent to permanently remove these weapons from circulation.