Scrap Metal Prices in Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast yards are spread between Caloundra, Maroochydore, and Nambour. Volume is residential-led, with seasonal lifts during major construction phases.
Current scrap metal prices in Sunshine Coast
Spot price equivalents adjusted for Sunshine Coast's regional rate (0.91×). Actual yard payouts apply the grade-specific payout rate on top — typically 12–78% of spot depending on grade.
| Metal | Sydney spot | Sunshine Coast equiv. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | $20.94 | $19.05 | Grades & payouts → |
| Aluminium | $4.47 | $4.06 | Grades & payouts → |
| Brass | $15.80 | $14.38 | Grades & payouts → |
| Steel | $0.42 | $0.38 | Grades & payouts → |
| Stainless Steel | $2.31 | $2.10 | Grades & payouts → |
| Lead | $2.70 | $2.46 | Grades & payouts → |
| Zinc | $5.38 | $4.90 | Grades & payouts → |
| Nickel | $22.58 | $20.55 | Grades & payouts → |
How Sunshine Coast compares
Scrap yards in Sunshine Coast pay roughly 9% below the Sydney national benchmark (0.91× regional adjustment). Among Australian regional centres, rates here are closest to Albury (0.90×). Rates here reflect moderate transport costs to Brisbane for export and processing.
Where the yards are in Sunshine Coast
Kunda Park, the industrial estate inland from Maroochydore, is the Sunshine Coast's main scrap precinct, with a national recycler and the region's largest independent within a few streets of each other. The Coolum Beach industrial area to the north has a branch of a state-wide chain, and smaller operators are scattered through Yandina, Landsborough, Little Mountain near Caloundra, Noosaville and Birtinya.
Most of these are general yards taking ferrous and non-ferrous, with several running their own collection trucks and skip bins. Vehicle removal is a large part of the trade, and there are hinterland operators around Yandina and Landsborough who mainly handle farm and machinery scrap.
Where Sunshine Coast's metal goes
Nothing is shredded or shipped from the Sunshine Coast. Steel is trucked to the shredder at Wacol in Brisbane's south-west, and export-grade material heads to the metals site at Pinkenba in the Port of Brisbane. The coast is about 100 km north of the Brisbane centre, so yards carry one modest freight leg and payouts sit a little under Brisbane, with Caloundra-end yards slightly better placed than Noosa.
What's different about selling in Sunshine Coast
Queensland's Second-hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act means the yard will sight identification such as a driver licence and record your name and address; Queensland has not banned cash for scrap, although new laws are under consideration. Containers go through Containers for Change for a 10 cent refund. Construction is one of the region's largest employers, alongside healthcare and a tourism trade of more than 3 million visitors a year, so scrap is dominated by building offcuts, renovation waste and household appliances rather than industrial plant. The November to April storm season brings a seasonal lift in roofing iron and storm-damaged goods.
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 Sunshine Coast
Estimated scrap value at Sunshine Coast yards. Assumes properly prepared material (oil drained, copper stripped from motors, refrigerant degassed where required).
Scrap yards in Sunshine Coast
13 scrap yards listed in the Sunshine Coast area with addresses, phone numbers, and ratings. Browse all 13 yards →
Frequently asked questions about scrap metal in Sunshine Coast
Where are the best scrap metal yards in Sunshine Coast? +
Our yard directory lists Sunshine Coast 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 Sunshine Coast pay less than Sydney for scrap metal? +
The 9% gap to Sydney reflects transport costs. Metal sold in Sunshine Coast 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 Sunshine Coast? +
Copper, by a wide margin. Clean bare-bright copper currently pays around $14.86 per kilogram in Sunshine Coast. 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 Sunshine Coast 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 Sunshine Coast 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 Sunshine Coast yards close early on weekends or operate reduced hours, so confirm opening times before transport.