Victorian State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, has slammed the Allan Labor Government for another example of fiscal mismanagement, following revelations that the new machete amnesty bins and public awareness campaign is costing taxpayers $13 million.
Running for just three months from September 1 until November 30, and with 45 bins being supplied state-wide, this equates to a cost of just on $290,000 per bin, which are smaller in size than a charity clothing donation box.
“Charities use similar types of disposal bins across Victoria for a fraction of this cost. There is simply no justification for a price tag anywhere near this amount,” Mr Bull said.
“It’s an outrageous waste of taxpayer money for something that will do little to make communities safer. I can’t see a gang member walking into a CCTV-monitored police station to dispose of a weapon they use for crime and intimidation.
“The stupidity of it is we don’t have a machete problem in this area, yet we have a bin in Bairnsdale.”
Mr Bull said the program also unfairly penalises law-abiding Victorians who use machetes responsibly for camping, household scrub clearing and bush recreational activities. Under the scheme, anyone wanting to legally retain a machete must apply and pay for a permit, and there is a strict eligibility criteria.
“Only those with an ABN or employer verification will be considered for approval. General household users will not be granted a permit, and therefore keeping a machete in the home after November 30 will be an illegal undertaking,” Mr Bull said.
“I understand the rationale behind it and support stronger action against what we are seeing on the city streets, but the controls should be around the metro-based areas where they are being misused, not in the country areas where we do not have a problem and they are used for the right reasons.”
“The reality is, those who use machetes for illegal purposes are unlikely to hand them in and I doubt whether any will be handed in here.
“Labor can’t manage money, can’t keep us safe, and continues to punish rural and regional Victorians for the actions of criminals in Melbourne who they fail to control.”
