Scrap Metal Prices in Cairns
Far North Queensland's distance from southern smelters keeps Cairns payouts below state averages, but limited yard competition makes pricing transparency particularly valuable to sellers.
Current scrap metal prices in Cairns
Spot price equivalents adjusted for Cairns's regional rate (0.82×). Actual yard payouts apply the grade-specific payout rate on top — typically 12–78% of spot depending on grade.
| Metal | Sydney spot | Cairns equiv. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | $21.31 | $17.48 | Grades & payouts → |
| Aluminium | $4.36 | $3.58 | Grades & payouts → |
| Brass | $16.05 | $13.16 | Grades & payouts → |
| Steel | $0.42 | $0.34 | Grades & payouts → |
| Stainless Steel | $2.29 | $1.87 | Grades & payouts → |
| Lead | $2.72 | $2.23 | Grades & payouts → |
| Zinc | $5.37 | $4.40 | Grades & payouts → |
| Nickel | $22.33 | $18.31 | Grades & payouts → |
How Cairns compares
Scrap yards in Cairns pay roughly 18% below the Sydney national benchmark (0.82× regional adjustment). Among Australian regional centres, rates here are closest to Dubbo (0.82×). The lower payout reflects Cairns's distance from major smelters and ports — transport costs to processing facilities reduce what yards can pay sellers.
Where the yards are in Cairns
Cairns keeps its scrap trade in a tight pocket south of the city centre. Portsmith, the mainly industrial suburb between the CBD and the seaport, has the national recycler's yard on Comport Street. Woree, a few kilometres further down the Bruce Highway, is home to the longest-running local independent, and Bungalow, between the two, has a general recycling centre that also takes metal.
That is essentially the whole market: one national yard, one established local and a small number of car-removal and mobile operators covering the northern beaches and the Tablelands. With so few buyers, a phone call to both Portsmith and Woree before a big load is the only real competition available.
Where Cairns's metal goes
The Cairns seaport does handle scrap. Ports North's published schedule of charges carries a per-tonne wharfage rate for scrap metal, import and export, so bulk loads can ship directly rather than travel south. The alternative outlets are the Port of Townsville, about 350 km down the highway, or Brisbane at 1,695 km. Either way freight is the largest single deduction, which is why Far North payouts sit below the state average even when the metal ships from the local wharf.
What's different about selling in Cairns
Queensland's Second-hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act requires the yard to sight identification such as a driver licence and record your name and address; Queensland has not banned cash for scrap, though new scrap theft laws are before Parliament. Containers for Change refunds 10 cents a container. Cairns runs on tourism, healthcare and education, with marine, aviation and defence industries behind them, so the scrap stream is boats, buses, hotel refits and aircraft ground equipment more than mining plant. The wet season runs from November to May, and yards can shut during cyclone warnings and flooding; the clean-up that follows is the busiest period of the year.
Rules for selling scrap in Queensland
- Governing law
- No stand-alone scrap metal Act. Scrap metal is treated as second-hand property under the Second-hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act 2003, administered by the Office of Fair Trading. The Justice and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 (introduced 4 March 2026; the committee recommended it be passed in April 2026) would insert a definition of scrap metal and tighten seller ID. As at 2 September 2026 the Parliament's bills page still listed it at the second reading stage, and the current consolidated Act (as at 5 December 2024) does not mention scrap metal.
- Photo ID
- Under the current Act (section 47) the dealer must obtain and verify the seller's name and address before acquiring goods; the Act itself does not specify photo ID. Once the 2026 amendments commence, scrap metal sellers will need to give their name, date of birth and residential address, verified by sighting photo ID with a unique identifier (driver licence, passport or photo ID card), plus a second document if the photo ID does not show the address.
- Cash payments
- No cash ban. The Act contains no payment method rules, and the Department of Justice confirmed the 2026 Bill does not include a prohibition on cash payments, describing a cash ban as a future policy matter.
- Scrapping a vehicle
- To cancel Queensland registration, complete the cancellation of registration form (F3517) and hand in both number plates unless they are personalised or already surrendered. A vehicle under 16 years old that is written off, including by parts stripping or dismantling, must be added to the written-off vehicle register.
- Container deposit scheme
- Containers for Change, 10 cents per eligible container, started 1 November 2018.
- Also worth knowing
- The 2026 Bill would require every scrap metal transaction, regardless of value, to be recorded in the dealer's transaction register, remove the 7 working day holding period for scrap metal, raise the penalty for unlicensed scrap dealing to 400 penalty units or 2 years, and add escalating penalties for dealers who repeatedly fail to report suspected stolen scrap metal to police.
Summarised from the legislation and government guidance linked on our state-by-state rules guide. Rules change; confirm with the yard before you go.
Other Queensland scrap markets
Yards across Queensland pay rates relative to their distance from major smelters and ports. Brisbane is the state capital and typically has the most competitive rates in the state.
Popular items: what they're worth in Cairns
Estimated scrap value at Cairns yards. Assumes properly prepared material (oil drained, copper stripped from motors, refrigerant degassed where required).
Scrap yards in Cairns
4 scrap yards listed in the Cairns area with addresses, phone numbers, and ratings. Browse all 4 yards →
Frequently asked questions about scrap metal in Cairns
Where are the best scrap metal yards in Cairns? +
Our yard directory lists Cairns yards with addresses, phone numbers and Google ratings, but we don't rank them — the best yard for you depends on the metal, the load size and who is paying well that week. The practical approach is to call 2-3 yards before transporting a load: published rates are useful guides, but actual offers vary by day, load size, and material quality.
Why does Cairns pay less than Sydney for scrap metal? +
The 18% gap to Sydney reflects transport costs. Metal sold in Cairns eventually travels to a smelter or export port — typically via Brisbane — and yards price the freight cost into their offer. Our regional adjustment is modelled from observed yard rates plus distance to processing facilities.
What's the highest-paying scrap metal in Cairns? +
Copper, by a wide margin. Clean bare-bright copper currently pays around $13.63 per kilogram in Cairns. Brass and aluminium follow, with steel paying the least per kilogram but compensating through volume — most ferrous loads are weighed on commercial weighbridges where small differences in rate matter less than tonnage.
Do Cairns scrap yards require photo ID? +
Yes for most non-ferrous metals and always for lead-acid batteries and catalytic converters. Queensland legislation requires yards to record seller identification on regulated transactions, primarily to deter metal theft. A driver's licence is the most commonly accepted form. Cash payments above certain thresholds may require additional documentation under state-specific regulations.
What other QLD cities have scrap yards? +
Yes — Brisbane, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Gold Coast, and others all have active scrap yards covered on this site. Brisbane (the Queensland capital) generally has the most yards and most competitive rates in the state.
When is the best time of week to bring a load to a Cairns yard? +
Tuesday through Thursday mornings generally produce the best experience. Yards are less crowded than Mondays (when weekend volume arrives), prices are stable mid-week, and weighbridge wait times are shorter. Many Cairns yards close early on weekends or operate reduced hours, so confirm opening times before transport.