Three people were seriously injured in a series of machete attacks across Melbourne over the weekend, despite the state having banned the weapons a year ago. The incidents have renewed concerns about street violence in the Australian city and raised questions over whether the ban has been effective in curbing attacks involving the weapons.

The attacks occurred in multiple locations, including Elizabeth and Flinders, with victims sustaining serious injuries requiring hospital treatment. Victoria introduced machete restrictions roughly a year before the incidents in response to a spate of similar violence, but the latest attacks suggest the weapons remain accessible and continue to be used in violent confrontations across the city.