WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Victoria's machete disposal bins cost $325,000 each.
OUR VERDICT
False. The calculation method for the bin costs is incorrect. The government says the bins cost around $2400 each.
AAP FACTCHECK - A viral social media claim that the Victorian government paid $325,000 each for machete disposal bins drastically overstates the actual cost to taxpayers.
The figure has been miscalculated, dividing the $13 million budget for the entire machete amnesty program (which also includes an educational campaign and public awareness drive) by the number of bins installed across the state.
The Victorian government told AAP FactCheck the bins cost about $2400 each.
With a statewide ban on machetes now in force, the three-month amnesty scheme allows owners to dispose of their weapons anonymously.
"These particular bins allegedly cost the government - which means the taxpayer - $13 million … over $300,000 per bin," one man says in separate videos posted on Facebook and TikTok.
"Only in Victoria can they not afford new firetrucks, but they can afford dozens of $350,000 machete bins," another Facebook post is captioned.
The figure has been calculated by dividing the $13 million in funding allocated in the 2025/2026 Victorian budget to implement the machete ban program by 40 - the approximate number of disposal bins (45) installed by the state government.
The calculation and claim gained traction after being promoted by, among others, Victorian state Liberal MP Nicole Werner.
This calculation, however, drastically overestimates the cost of each bin as the funding for the program covers more than just the bins.
A briefing provided to Victoria's Public Accounts and Estimates Committee in June 2025 details a series of other programs that will be funded with the $13 million, including a public awareness campaign and an education program focused on businesses selling machetes.
The government told AAP FactCheck the bins cost around $2400 each.
AAP FactCheck requested further details from the state government, including a breakdown of how much each element of the machete surrender program will cost, but no data was provided.
Certain elements of the program, including disposal of machetes handed in, haven't occurred yet, so the final cost is unclear.
The $2400 price tag is consistent with the price quoted online for a steel charity bin by a prominent metal products fabricator in Victoria.
The claim has also been addressed in the Victorian parliament, with acting speaker Daniela De Martino also citing the $2400 price per bin.
"The entire project, that $13 million, includes public awareness, retailer education, manufacturing and installation of the machete safe disposal bins," she said (page 92).
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