Scrap Metal Prices in Mandurah
Mandurah is a coastal city 70km south of Perth, with a growing residential, marine, and trades economy. Scrap volumes come primarily from residential construction, boat maintenance, and the steady renovation activity typical of fast-growing satellite cities.
Current scrap metal prices in Mandurah
Spot price equivalents adjusted for Mandurah's regional rate (0.85×). Actual yard payouts apply the grade-specific payout rate on top — typically 12–78% of spot depending on grade.
| Metal | Sydney spot | Mandurah equiv. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | $20.31 | $17.26 | Grades & payouts → |
| Aluminium | $4.56 | $3.88 | Grades & payouts → |
| Brass | $15.41 | $13.10 | Grades & payouts → |
| Steel | $0.42 | $0.36 | Grades & payouts → |
| Stainless Steel | $2.37 | $2.01 | Grades & payouts → |
| Lead | $2.65 | $2.25 | Grades & payouts → |
| Zinc | $5.45 | $4.63 | Grades & payouts → |
| Nickel | $23.33 | $19.83 | Grades & payouts → |
How Mandurah compares
Scrap yards in Mandurah pay roughly 15% below the Sydney national benchmark (0.85× regional adjustment). Among Australian regional centres, rates here are closest to Rockhampton (0.85×). Rates here reflect moderate transport costs to the nearest capital for export and processing.
Where the yards are in Mandurah
Mandurah has no dedicated scrap precinct. The yards are a handful of family-run independents on the city's inland industrial streets, buying ferrous and non-ferrous metal, car bodies, batteries and white goods from residents and trades across the Peel region. There is no national recycler yard in the city itself.
That matters for pricing. With two or three buyers rather than twenty, quotes on copper and brass can vary more than they would in Perth, and it is worth phoning more than one yard before loading the ute.
Where Mandurah's metal goes
Mandurah is 72 km south of Perth, but the processing point is closer than that. Western Australia's largest metal shredder is at Kwinana Beach, 42 km south of the Perth CBD, which puts it about half an hour up the freeway from Mandurah. Ferrous scrap bought locally is trucked there. Because the haul is short, Mandurah payouts sit only slightly under Perth's; the discount is more about the thin buyer pool than freight.
What's different about selling in Mandurah
Western Australia regulates scrap through the Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act 1994: since 1 December 2020 anyone buying scrap copper, brass or bronze must hold a second-hand dealer licence, take 100 points of identification from every seller and report each transaction to police, though cash itself is not banned. Containers for Change, the state's 10-cent container refund scheme, has run since October 2020 and was widened to most drink containers from July 2026, so cans are usually worth more at a refund point than on the aluminium scale. Mandurah's economy runs on construction, tourism and services, so the scrap stream is renovation offcuts, boat and trailer fittings, and old appliances rather than heavy industry, though the Kwinana industrial complex and the alumina refineries at Pinjarra and Wagerup are within two hours and feed contractor volumes into local yards.
Rules for selling scrap in Western Australia
- Governing law
- No scrap-specific Act. The Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act 1994 and Regulations 1996 apply, but the Regulations (as at 11 June 2025) exclude ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal from the definition of second-hand goods except gold, silver, copper and copper alloy (including bronze and brass). Only dealers in scrap copper, brass, bronze, gold or silver need a WA Police second-hand dealer licence.
- Photo ID
- For copper, copper alloy, gold or silver, the licensed dealer must verify the seller's identity to at least 100 points using the checks in regulation 13 (photo documents score higher). For steel, aluminium and other scrap outside the Act no statutory ID requirement was found, although yards may set their own.
- Cash payments
- No cash ban. The licensing change that took effect on 1 December 2020 did not stop cash payment (as reported by the building industry's PACT Site Security), although licensed dealers must record and report copper and copper alloy transactions.
- Scrapping a vehicle
- To cancel a vehicle licence, surrender the number plates at a DTMI service centre or regional agent (or lodge Form VL14 if the plates are lost or stolen) and apply for a pro rata refund of licence fees. Vehicles on the Written-Off Vehicles Register need the date of the accident on the refund application.
- Container deposit scheme
- Containers for Change, 10 cents per eligible container, since 1 October 2020. Expanded from 1 July 2026 to almost all drink containers between 150 mL and 3 litres.
- Also worth knowing
- PACT Site Security reported that the December 2020 change carries penalties of $2,000 to $5,000 and up to 12 months imprisonment for individuals, or fines up to $20,000 for companies, and that dealers must hold copper for 14 days without altering it. Those points come from an industry body, not from the regulation text.
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 Western Australia scrap markets
Yards across Western Australia pay rates relative to their distance from major smelters and ports. Perth is the state capital and typically has the most competitive rates in the state.
Popular items: what they're worth in Mandurah
Estimated scrap value at Mandurah yards. Assumes properly prepared material (oil drained, copper stripped from motors, refrigerant degassed where required).
Scrap yards in Mandurah
We don't list any yards in Mandurah yet — submit one to help build the directory. View directory page →
Frequently asked questions about scrap metal in Mandurah
Where are the best scrap metal yards in Mandurah? +
Our yard directory lists Mandurah 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 Mandurah pay less than Sydney for scrap metal? +
The 15% gap to Sydney reflects transport costs. Metal sold in Mandurah eventually travels to a smelter or export port — typically via Perth — 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 Mandurah? +
Copper, by a wide margin. Clean bare-bright copper currently pays around $13.46 per kilogram in Mandurah. 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 Mandurah scrap yards require photo ID? +
Yes for most non-ferrous metals and always for lead-acid batteries and catalytic converters. Western Australia 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 WA cities have scrap yards? +
Yes — Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, and others all have active scrap yards covered on this site. Perth (the Western Australia 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 Mandurah 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 Mandurah yards close early on weekends or operate reduced hours, so confirm opening times before transport.