Scrap Metal Prices in Mildura
Estimated scrap yard payouts in Mildura on : about $13.42/kg for bare bright copper, $2.51/kg for aluminium extrusion, $7.85/kg for yellow brass. These are our estimates from MetalpriceAPI market prices × typical payout rates × Mildura's 0.86× regional factor, not quotes from Mildura yards; call a yard before you go. Where these numbers come from.
Mildura's irrigation agriculture creates strong demand for farm-metal recycling. Distance from Melbourne keeps payouts moderate.
Current scrap metal prices in Mildura
Spot price equivalents adjusted for Mildura's regional rate (0.86×). Actual yard payouts apply the grade-specific payout rate on top — typically 12–78% of spot depending on grade.
| Metal | Sydney spot | Mildura equiv. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | $20.01 | $17.21 | Grades & payouts → |
| Aluminium | $4.48 | $3.85 | Grades & payouts → |
| Brass | $15.21 | $13.08 | Grades & payouts → |
| Steel | $0.42 | $0.36 | Grades & payouts → |
| Stainless Steel | $2.41 | $2.07 | Grades & payouts → |
| Lead | $2.75 | $2.37 | Grades & payouts → |
| Zinc | $5.46 | $4.69 | Grades & payouts → |
| Nickel | $23.83 | $20.49 | Grades & payouts → |
Where these numbers come from
| Figure | Value | Source | Type | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper spot price | A$20.01/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Aluminium spot price | A$4.48/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Brass spot price | A$15.21/kg | Calculated: 67% copper + 33% zinc (MetalpriceAPI) | Our calculation from feed prices | |
| Steel spot price | A$0.42/kg | Fixed site estimate of A$0.42/kg | Fixed estimate, not a market feed | |
| Stainless Steel spot price | A$2.41/kg | Calculated: 8% nickel (MetalpriceAPI) + a fixed A$0.50/kg chromium allowance | Our calculation, partly a fixed estimate | |
| Lead spot price | A$2.75/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Zinc spot price | A$5.46/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Nickel spot price | A$23.83/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Mildura regional factor | 0.86× | Our model (freight distance and yard rate differences) | Our estimate | |
| Grade payout rates | 12–78% of spot | Our estimate from published yard rate cards | Our estimate |
Spot prices are converted to Australian dollars per kilogram. Yard payouts are our estimates (spot × grade payout rate × regional factor), not quotes from any yard. Set when the site launched on 2026-05-16 and not updated since. No live steel scrap price feed is used. The chromium allowance is a fixed figure set on 2026-05-16, not a market price. Full detail: methodology.
How Mildura compares
Scrap yards in Mildura pay roughly 14% below the Sydney national benchmark (0.86× regional adjustment). Among Australian regional centres, rates here are closest to Hervey Bay (0.86×). Rates here reflect moderate transport costs to Melbourne for export and processing.
Where the yards are in Mildura
Mildura's scrap buyers are concentrated south of the city along Koorlong Avenue in Irymple, with a couple more on Twentieth Street and Almond Avenue in Mildura's own industrial area. The typical operator here combines a wrecking yard with a scrap business, buying copper, brass, aluminium, radiators, whitegoods and car bodies from the same counter.
There are no national recyclers with a public weighbridge in the district, so the independents set the price and their service area is enormous, taking in Sunraysia, north-western Victoria and Broken Hill. Satellite towns such as Red Cliffs and Merbein are served from the same yards.
Where Mildura's metal goes
Mildura is 545 kilometres from Melbourne and 399 kilometres from Adelaide by road, roughly halfway between the two. Local yards consolidate metal into truckloads and send it to whichever capital's recyclers are paying best that month. Both directions are long hauls of five to six hours, and the freight bill is the main reason Mildura's adjustment sits well below Bendigo's.
What's different about selling in Mildura
Farm metal dominates. The district supplies about 80 percent of Victoria's grapes and more than 70 percent of Australia's dried vine fruit, plus citrus and almonds, so trellis wire, irrigation pipe, pumps and worn-out tractors are the stock in trade. Victoria's 2018 cash ban applies here as it does in Melbourne, so payment is electronic and photo identification is required. CDS Vic refund points pay 10 cents per eligible drink container.
Sources for the Mildura sections above (last checked ):
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 below (more on our state-by-state rules guide). Rules change; confirm with the yard before you go.
Sources (last checked ):
- consumer.vic.gov.au: scrap metal laws
- consumer.vic.gov.au: notice for consumers cash payments for scrap metal are banned (PDF)
- consumer.vic.gov.au: evidence of identity
- premier.vic.gov.au: cash scrap ban comes effect today
- premier.vic.gov.au: victorias container deposit scheme now open
- cdsvic.org.au
- epa.vic.gov.au: container deposit scheme
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 Mildura
Estimated scrap value at Mildura yards. Assumes properly prepared material (oil drained, copper stripped from motors, refrigerant degassed where required).
Scrap yards in Mildura
We don't list any yards in Mildura yet — submit one to help build the directory. View directory page →
Frequently asked questions about scrap metal in Mildura
Where are the best scrap metal yards in Mildura? +
Our yard directory lists Mildura 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 Mildura pay less than Sydney for scrap metal? +
The 14% gap to Sydney reflects transport costs. Metal sold in Mildura 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 Mildura? +
Copper, by a wide margin. Our estimate for clean bare-bright copper in Mildura is around $13.42 per kilogram (spot price × 78% payout rate × 0.86 regional factor). 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 Mildura scrap yards require 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. (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; last checked 2026-09-02.)
Can I be paid cash for scrap metal in Mildura? +
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. (Last checked 2026-09-02.)
What other VIC cities have scrap yards? +
Yes — Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Melbourne, 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.