Scrap Metal Prices in Townsville
Townsville hosts Sun Metals' zinc refinery and a deep-water port, giving non-ferrous scrap a strong local outlet. Mining services keep volume consistent year-round.
Current scrap metal prices in Townsville
Spot price equivalents adjusted for Townsville'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 | Townsville equiv. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | $20.94 | $18.01 | Grades & payouts → |
| Aluminium | $4.47 | $3.84 | Grades & payouts → |
| Brass | $15.80 | $13.59 | Grades & payouts → |
| Steel | $0.42 | $0.36 | Grades & payouts → |
| Stainless Steel | $2.31 | $1.98 | Grades & payouts → |
| Lead | $2.70 | $2.33 | Grades & payouts → |
| Zinc | $5.38 | $4.63 | Grades & payouts → |
| Nickel | $22.58 | $19.42 | Grades & payouts → |
How Townsville compares
Scrap yards in Townsville 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 Brisbane for export and processing.
Where the yards are in Townsville
Townsville's scrap yards follow the industrial ring around the airport and the port. Garbutt, beside the airport, has a branch of a Queensland chain and several independents. Bohle and Mount St John to the north-west hold the wreckers and cash-for-cars operators. South Townsville, next to the port, has the national recycler's yard, and Stuart on the southern approach and Idalia have smaller operators.
The mix is unusual for a regional city: a national buyer, a state chain and a handful of locals all compete, so ringing two or three before selling a decent load is worthwhile. Mining-services workshops in Bohle and Stuart generate the heavy ferrous; the residential trade supplies the non-ferrous.
Where Townsville's metal goes
Unlike most regional centres, Townsville ships its own scrap. The Port of Townsville lists scrap metal, with refined minerals and live cattle, as its predominant break-bulk export, and the South Townsville yard sits within a few hundred metres of the wharves. Steel therefore does not make the 1,348 km trip to Brisbane, and the local port leg is short. Non-ferrous still competes with southern and export markets, but the city is the only one in the world refining zinc, copper and nickel, which keeps industrial buyers close.
What's different about selling in Townsville
Queensland's Second-hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act requires yards to sight ID such as a driver licence and record the seller's name and address; cash is not currently banned for scrap in Queensland, though Parliament is weighing new laws. Containers for Change returns 10 cents a container. Defence is a large local source, with Lavarack Barracks and RAAF Base Townsville both in the city. The wet season runs November to April and cyclones are most likely from December to April; yards can close during warnings and floods, and the weeks afterwards bring a surge of damaged roofing, fencing and appliances.
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 Townsville
Estimated scrap value at Townsville yards. Assumes properly prepared material (oil drained, copper stripped from motors, refrigerant degassed where required).
Scrap yards in Townsville
7 scrap yards listed in the Townsville area with addresses, phone numbers, and ratings. Browse all 7 yards →
Frequently asked questions about scrap metal in Townsville
Where are the best scrap metal yards in Townsville? +
Our yard directory lists Townsville 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 Townsville pay less than Sydney for scrap metal? +
The 14% gap to Sydney reflects transport costs. Metal sold in Townsville 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 Townsville? +
Copper, by a wide margin. Clean bare-bright copper currently pays around $14.04 per kilogram in Townsville. 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 Townsville 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 Townsville 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 Townsville yards close early on weekends or operate reduced hours, so confirm opening times before transport.