Scrap Metal Prices in Geelong
Post-Ford manufacturing closure, Geelong's scrap market shifted toward demolition, construction, and the port. Yards in North Geelong and Corio service both heavy industry and residential.
Current scrap metal prices in Geelong
Spot price equivalents adjusted for Geelong's regional rate (0.94×). Actual yard payouts apply the grade-specific payout rate on top — typically 12–78% of spot depending on grade.
| Metal | Sydney spot | Geelong equiv. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | $21.31 | $20.03 | Grades & payouts → |
| Aluminium | $4.36 | $4.10 | Grades & payouts → |
| Brass | $16.05 | $15.09 | Grades & payouts → |
| Steel | $0.42 | $0.39 | Grades & payouts → |
| Stainless Steel | $2.29 | $2.15 | Grades & payouts → |
| Lead | $2.72 | $2.55 | Grades & payouts → |
| Zinc | $5.37 | $5.05 | Grades & payouts → |
| Nickel | $22.33 | $20.99 | Grades & payouts → |
How Geelong compares
Scrap yards in Geelong pay roughly 6% below the Sydney national benchmark (0.94× regional adjustment). Among Australian regional centres, rates here are closest to Central Coast (0.94×). Rates here reflect moderate transport costs to Melbourne for export and processing.
Where the yards are in Geelong
Geelong's yards sit in two pockets. North Geelong and Corio, wedged between the Princes Highway, the rail line and the port, hold the heaviest operators, including a national recycler's yard that buys ferrous and non-ferrous by the truckload and pays on the spot. Breakwater and Moolap, on the eastern side of the Barwon, have a second cluster of steel merchants, independent scrap buyers and auto wreckers.
Between the two pockets are a number of mobile buyers who collect from Norlane, Bell Park, Corio and the Bellarine rather than running a public weighbridge. For a household load that means a choice between driving to North Geelong or Breakwater, or having a collector come to you at a lower rate per kilo.
Where Geelong's metal goes
Geelong is only 75 kilometres from Melbourne, and InfraBuild's electric arc furnace at Laverton sits beside the Princes Freeway on Melbourne's western edge, so Geelong steel reaches a mill in under an hour. GeelongPort moves more than 13.6 million tonnes of cargo a year across Corio Quay and Lascelles Wharf, and Corio Quay also handles break bulk such as steel, though the port's published trade is dominated by grain, woodchips, petroleum and fertiliser rather than scrap. Since October 2022 the Spirit of Tasmania has berthed at Corio Quay, which puts Geelong on the route for Tasmanian wheeled freight. Short hauls and a nearby mill keep Geelong close behind Melbourne on payouts.
What's different about selling in Geelong
Geelong's scrap supply changed character when Alcoa closed the Point Henry aluminium smelter and rolling mills in 2014 and Ford stopped building cars in 2016. Demolition, construction and the port now supply more of the tonnage than factories do. Victoria's cash ban applies: yards pay electronically and record identification. Eligible drink containers earn 10 cents each through CDS Vic rather than being sold as scrap aluminium.
Rules for selling scrap in Victoria
- Governing law
- No stand-alone scrap metal Act. Scrap metal dealers and auto wreckers are regulated under the Second-Hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act 1989 and its regulations, and must be registered as second-hand dealers with the Business Licensing Authority (Consumer Affairs Victoria).
- Photo ID
- Yes, for every scrap sale. When buying scrap metal the dealer must record the seller's name, address and identification details. Second-hand dealers accept one photo ID (passport, driver licence, a photo document issued by a statutory authority, a tertiary student card or a firearms licence) or two non-photo documents such as a birth certificate, citizenship certificate, marriage certificate or a Commonwealth health or pensioner card.
- Cash payments
- Cash is banned, in force since 30 May 2018. A dealer must not pay or receive cash for scrap metal. Payment can only be by a cheque that is not transferable or payable to cash, or by electronic funds transfer, and e-currency such as bitcoin is not allowed. Penalty up to 200 penalty units, or a 12 penalty unit on-the-spot fine.
- Scrapping a vehicle
- A scrap metal dealer must not buy a scrap motor vehicle if its vehicle identifier (the VIN on vehicles built from 1 January 1989) has been removed, defaced, obliterated or altered, and a vehicle 15 years old or newer must be entered on the written-off vehicle register as a statutory write-off. VicRoads registration cancellation steps could not be confirmed from a fetched page.
- Container deposit scheme
- CDS Vic (Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme), 10 cents per eligible container. Opened 1 November 2023. Most aluminium, glass, plastic and carton drink containers between 150 mL and 3 litres are eligible.
- Also worth knowing
- For each purchase the dealer records the item description, quantity or weight, vehicle identifier if any, seller details, date and time, a copy of the payment and the staff member's name; on selling it also records the date, time, method and place of disposal. A lot of items each worth under $100 can be recorded as a single entry.
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 Victoria scrap markets
Yards across Victoria pay rates relative to their distance from major smelters and ports. Melbourne is the state capital and typically has the most competitive rates in the state.
Popular items: what they're worth in Geelong
Estimated scrap value at Geelong yards. Assumes properly prepared material (oil drained, copper stripped from motors, refrigerant degassed where required).
Scrap yards in Geelong
9 scrap yards listed in the Geelong area with addresses, phone numbers, and ratings. Browse all 9 yards →
Frequently asked questions about scrap metal in Geelong
Where are the best scrap metal yards in Geelong? +
Our yard directory lists Geelong 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 Geelong pay less than Sydney for scrap metal? +
The 6% gap to Sydney reflects transport costs. Metal sold in Geelong eventually travels to a smelter or export port — typically via Melbourne — 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 Geelong? +
Copper, by a wide margin. Clean bare-bright copper currently pays around $15.63 per kilogram in Geelong. 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 Geelong scrap yards require photo ID? +
Yes for most non-ferrous metals and always for lead-acid batteries and catalytic converters. Victoria 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 VIC cities have scrap yards? +
Yes — Ballarat, Bendigo, Melbourne, Mildura, and others all have active scrap yards covered on this site. Melbourne (the Victoria 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 Geelong 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 Geelong yards close early on weekends or operate reduced hours, so confirm opening times before transport.