South Australia has passed a law to regulate scrap metal dealers, but, as far as the official site shows, it has not started. If you sell scrap in South Australia, or buy it, that leaves a practical question: what applies now, and what should you do while you wait? This guide sets out where the law stands, what we could and could not verify, how to prepare, and what government export data shows about scrap from the state: how much leaves, which metals, through which port and to whom. It does not replace advice from the regulator, and it is not another Adelaide price list. We already have those, linked below. We have a commercial interest in the scrap trade.
Where the law stands
South Australia passed the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2025. The South Australian legislation website lists the Act as not yet in operation, and the version we saw is dated 4 December 2025 and marked uncommenced. Parliamentary material says the Act starts on a date set by proclamation. We found no start date.
Parliamentary summaries of the Bill, and the structure of the Act as summarised, indicate that once it is in force:
- Dealers will have to be on a register kept by the Commissioner of Police, and failing to give the Commissioner written notice that you carry on a business in prescribed scrap metal will be an offence.
- Dealers will be prohibited from paying by cash, cheque, cryptocurrency or in kind.
- Dealers will have to verify the seller's identity and keep transaction records.
What we could not verify. The South Australian legislation and Hansard sites blocked our automated access, so we could not read the Act or the debate directly. The points above come from our earlier reading of the legislation site's status line and from search summaries of the parliamentary material. We could not confirm the final wording, the penalties, the records period, the fees, what counts as prescribed scrap metal or what applies before the start date. Treat this section as a pointer, not as the law. For the wider picture, see our state-by-state guide to scrap business rules, which compares what we could verify in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.
What to do before it starts
None of this is a legal requirement we can confirm for South Australia today. It is sensible practice, and it matches the direction other states have taken.
- Ask SA Police what applies now and when the Act starts. That is the only authoritative answer.
- Expect to show identification when you sell, and expect a reputable buyer to ask. Ask what they need before you arrive.
- Prefer a bank transfer to cash. It leaves a record, and the reported direction of the law is against cash.
- Keep your own record of each sale: date, material, weight, photos, the buyer's name and how you were paid.
- If you buy scrap, plan for a register, seller identification and records now. A tidy digital record helps; see Scrap Yard Billing: What the Software Must Do.
- If you work as a broker or agent, ask the regulator whether the rules cover your role. See Become a Scrap Broker or Agent in Australia.
How much scrap leaves South Australia
The next sections use the Australian Government's waste exports data, which records declared tonnes and value for each export by state of origin. The 2025-26 figures are provisional, and values are declared at the border for mixed shipments. They are not prices you will be paid.
In 2025-26, South Australia exported 166,906 tonnes of metal scrap, with a declared value of A$301.2 million. That is 5.5% of the Australian total of 3,045,991 tonnes.
The state's share was larger earlier. In 2018-19 it exported 256,686 tonnes, 9.7% of the national total. Ferrous scrap drove the fall, from 225,996 tonnes to 129,749, down 43%. After a low in 2021-22 of 117,729 tonnes, exports recovered to between about 167,000 and 171,000 tonnes in each of the last three years.
What is in it
| Metal (2025-26) | Tonnes | Share of tonnes | Declared value | Share of value | Average value per tonne |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferrous | 129,749 | 77.7% | A$90.3m | 30.0% | A$696 |
| Aluminium | 26,893 | 16.1% | A$110.9m | 36.8% | A$4,123 |
| Copper and alloys | 9,670 | 5.8% | A$97.7m | 32.4% | A$10,098 |
The mix matters if you sell. Ferrous scrap is 78% of the tonnes but 30% of the declared value. Aluminium and copper together are 22% of the tonnes and 69% of the value. For a household or a small business, that is the case for sorting: a bucket of non-ferrous metal is worth much more per kilogram than the same weight of steel, and mixing them lowers the price of the lot. See the grades in Scrap Metal Types and Grades.
Aluminium: South Australia against the national average
South Australian aluminium scrap has carried a higher declared value per tonne than the national average since 2021-22, from A$3,034 that year to A$4,214 in 2024-25 and A$4,123 in 2025-26. The national figure rose from A$2,391 in 2021-22 to A$2,999 in 2024-25 (excluding one March 2025 record that is almost certainly a recording error) and A$3,790 in 2025-26, closing most of the gap. Much of the national rise comes from a change in the beverage-can part of the trade, where the cheapest flows dropped out of the mix. We cover both in Scrap Metal Price Chart Australia: 8 Years. We cannot say why South Australia sits higher. The practical point is only that South Australian aluminium has not shown a jump of its own.
Where South Australian scrap goes
Material from South Australia reached 25 countries in 2025-26. The largest destinations by tonnes were Indonesia (24.6%), Bangladesh (22.3%), Vietnam (17.9%), India (10.0%), China (7.1%) and Thailand (7.0%), followed by South Korea and Saudi Arabia (3.6% each). That is broadly the national pattern, covered in Bangladesh vs Indonesia vs Vietnam: Australian Scrap Buyers.
Port Adelaide loaded 154,860 tonnes of South Australian scrap, 92.8% of the state's total. In all, Port Adelaide loaded 163,940 tonnes, of which 94.5% originated in South Australia. For how ports compare, see Australian Scrap Export Ports: Who Ships What.
Getting a fair price in South Australia
Export values are for context. To judge an offer, use a price you can check.
- Know the benchmark in Australian dollars. See Scrap Metal Benchmark Prices in A$ per kg.
- Use the live prices and calculators. The market prices page, the Australia scrap calculator and the scrap metal calculator give an indicative figure for your material.
- Compare buyers on four points. What price they pay and on what basis, what they deduct, when they pay, and how.
- Read the Adelaide guides we already have. Scrap Metal Prices in Adelaide, Scrap Metal Prices in Adelaide: A Guide for Sellers and the Adelaide Scrap Metal Recycling Report 2026.
- Sell to more than one buyer. List the lot where several buyers can see it. On ScrapTrade you can compare offers and negotiate. See Sell Scrap Metal in Adelaide.
Where ScrapTrade fits
ScrapTrade is a marketplace where sellers list scrap and buyers compare offers and negotiate. Its Trust & Safety page says payment is held in escrow from the moment a deal is confirmed until pickup or delivery is confirmed, which creates a record of the payment. It does not tell you what South Australian law requires of you. Browse the marketplace or create a free account.
Before you quote any export figure from this data, read how to clean it and what to check: Reading Australia's Scrap Export Data Properly.
What we could not verify
- The text of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2025, its start date, penalties, records period, fees and what applies before it starts.
- Whether the register is open or what notice is needed now.
- Local yard prices. We publish none, and the export values here are not prices.
- Whether the 2025-26 figures will be revised. They are provisional.
Frequently asked questions
Is the South Australian scrap metal dealers law in force?
On the official legislation site the Act is listed as not yet in operation, and we found no start date. Ask SA Police for the current position.
Can I sell scrap for cash in South Australia?
We could not verify what applies today. Parliamentary material indicates the Act will prohibit cash, cheque, cryptocurrency and in-kind payment once it starts. A bank transfer leaves a record in any case.
Do I need ID to sell scrap in South Australia?
We could not verify a current requirement. The Act is described as requiring dealers to verify seller identity once in force, and reputable buyers commonly ask. Ask the buyer before you go.
How much scrap does South Australia export?
In 2025-26, 166,906 tonnes, 5.5% of the national total, with a declared value of A$301.2 million. Figures are provisional.
Which port ships South Australian scrap?
Port Adelaide loaded 92.8% of it.
Sources
- South Australian Legislation, Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2025, listed as not yet in operation (version dated 4 December 2025), and South Australian Parliament, Hansard, November 2025, Scrap Metal Dealers Bill, as summarised in search results. We could not open either directly.
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Waste exports data collation, September 2026 (ABS records), ScrapTrade calculations. State of origin and port as declared. The 2025-26 figures are provisional.
This is general information, not legal advice. State laws change, so confirm with SA Police. Declared export values are border declarations for mixed shipments, not prices. ScrapTrade operates a scrap marketplace and has a commercial interest in the scrap trade.