NSW’s new laws designed to tackle knife crime have gone into effect this week and have been welcomed by retailers which often find frontline staff being threatened at knifepoint.

According to the new laws, NSW police will have the authority to scan people for knives or weapons without a warrant in areas including public transport zones, shopping precincts, certain sporting venues, and special events.

This legislation also makes it illegal to sell knives to a child under the age of 18 (with exemptions for retailers selling to young people who need a knife for their work or study).

However, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has pointed out that the laws in other states are not as stringent and have hence called for national consistency on knife laws.

For example, in Tasmania, there is no age restriction to buy knives, and in ACT and SA the laws allow knife sales to those aged 16.

Updates to SA legislation have been announced, but have not yet been passed. In SA, anyone caught supplying a knife to a minor would face up to four years in jail or a maximum $35,000 fine, under the proposed new laws set to be introduced in state parliament early next year.

 

In NSW, the government says that over the past year, almost 4,000 knives have been confiscated in public places.

The ARA Chief Industry Affairs Officer Fleur Brown welcomed the new laws. “Too many retailers have been threatened or injured by knives during incidents of retail crime. We are fully supportive of the NSW Government taking this step to tackle safety issues and violence within retail settings and the broader community,” said Brown.

While pushing for uniform national laws, the ARA said that harmonising legislation nationwide will improve overall community safety.

“We encourage all states and territories to consider a standard approach to knife laws, such as the precedent set in NSW,” added Brown.

“Ensuring uniformity in police powers and restrictions on knife sales across Australia will improve community safety and reduce the risk of violence in retail settings.”