Police claim the man, 23, had been ejected from the venue about 1.30am for drunkenness and returned about two hours later.

The weapon, with a 46cm blade and 11cm wooden handle, was allegedly concealed, inserted up his sleeve.

The Wodonga man is accused of confronting a male security guard, 46, at the door of the hotel and threatening to attack him with the machete.

No-one was injured but Sgt Jim Woods, of Wodonga police, said there had been the potential for disaster.

“The damage you can do with one of those things can be quite catastrophic,” he said.

“We certainly don’t want that happening, not in Wodonga. Not anywhere, for that matter.”

Sgt Woods said it was unacceptable the hotel employee had been put at risk after his colleagues acted responsibly to cut off the man’s drinks supply.

“The staff are just doing their job by moving them on,” he said.

Sgt Woods also commended the security guard’s quick response to the threat.

“He was pretty switched on — he had us down there pretty quickly,” he said.

Sgt Woods said the incident highlighted the importance of a Victoria Police firearms and weapons amnesty this month.

The scheme encourages people to hand over prohibited and unregistered guns or weapons without penalty.

Sgt Woods said yesterday’s attack could have been avoided if the man, angry and intoxicated, hadn’t had the machete at hand and been tempted to exact revenge.

“If the weapons aren’t there, this sort of thing doesn’t happen,” he said.

“Bring them in and get rid of them.”

The man was charged with possessing a controlled weapon, intentionally threatening serious injury, being armed with criminal intent, refusing to leave licensed premises on request, and being drunk in public.

He was released on bail late yesterday morning to face Wodonga Magistrates Court on November 11.