Scrap Metal Prices in Mackay
Mackay's mining services and sugar industry generate steady heavy ferrous volume. Yards benefit from port access for export-bound loads.
Current scrap metal prices in Mackay
Spot price equivalents adjusted for Mackay's regional rate (0.84×). Actual yard payouts apply the grade-specific payout rate on top — typically 12–78% of spot depending on grade.
| Metal | Sydney spot | Mackay equiv. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | $20.56 | $17.27 | Grades & payouts → |
| Aluminium | $4.62 | $3.88 | Grades & payouts → |
| Brass | $15.61 | $13.11 | Grades & payouts → |
| Steel | $0.42 | $0.35 | Grades & payouts → |
| Stainless Steel | $2.37 | $1.99 | Grades & payouts → |
| Lead | $2.65 | $2.22 | Grades & payouts → |
| Zinc | $5.57 | $4.68 | Grades & payouts → |
| Nickel | $23.31 | $19.58 | Grades & payouts → |
How Mackay compares
Scrap yards in Mackay pay roughly 16% below the Sydney national benchmark (0.84× regional adjustment). Among Australian regional centres, rates here are closest to Kalgoorlie-Boulder (0.84×). The lower payout reflects Mackay's distance from major smelters and ports — transport costs to processing facilities reduce what yards can pay sellers.
Where the yards are in Mackay
Paget, the mining-services industrial estate on the southern edge of Mackay, is where the scrap trade is concentrated. Two of the city's main yards are there, on Crichtons Road and Elvin Street, alongside the workshops, hire firms and engineering shops that service the Bowen Basin. A national recycler runs a third yard on Spiller Avenue closer to the city.
Buyers include a Queensland recycler and exporter with a shredder on site, a local steel merchant and recycler that supplies bins to commercial customers, and the national chain. All three take ferrous and non-ferrous. Heavy mining wear parts, conveyor structure and truck bodies make up the bulk of what comes over the weighbridge.
Where Mackay's metal goes
Mackay is one of only two places in Queensland with a metal shredder, the other being Brisbane, and it sits in Paget. The Port of Mackay lists scrap metal among the commodities it trades, with a common-user bulk handling area built for exactly this kind of cargo. Scrap is processed and can ship from the same city rather than travelling roughly 800 km south to Brisbane, which is why Mackay's ferrous payouts hold up better than its distance would suggest.
What's different about selling in Mackay
Under Queensland's Second-hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act the yard must sight ID such as a driver licence and record the seller's name and address; cash is not currently prohibited for scrap in Queensland, though new laws are being considered. Containers for Change pays 10 cents a container. The Bowen Basin, with more than 30 operating coal mines, sets the rhythm: shutdowns and fleet replacements release large lots of steel at once, and the sugar mills add seasonal maintenance scrap. The wet season runs December to March with cyclones possible until April, and flooded highways can stop trucks for days.
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 Mackay
Estimated scrap value at Mackay yards. Assumes properly prepared material (oil drained, copper stripped from motors, refrigerant degassed where required).
Scrap yards in Mackay
3 scrap yards listed in the Mackay area with addresses, phone numbers, and ratings. Browse all 3 yards →
Frequently asked questions about scrap metal in Mackay
Where are the best scrap metal yards in Mackay? +
Our yard directory lists Mackay 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 Mackay pay less than Sydney for scrap metal? +
The 16% gap to Sydney reflects transport costs. Metal sold in Mackay 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 Mackay? +
Copper, by a wide margin. Clean bare-bright copper currently pays around $13.47 per kilogram in Mackay. 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 Mackay 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, Cairns, Gladstone, 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 Mackay 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 Mackay yards close early on weekends or operate reduced hours, so confirm opening times before transport.