Expensive transport licenses are being blamed for tonnes of used car batteries piling up on outback Queensland cattle stations.

Permits to transport more than 250 kilograms of batteries cost almost $1,900, making it unviable for many landholders to transport them away to recycling facilities.

Gulf of Carpentaria freight truck driver Burnette Hollingsworth said there were not enough batteries in his service area to make recycling viable.

"We might only take two or three [tonnes] a year and only get $500 for a pallet," Mr Hollingsworth said.

Gulf country truck driver Burnette Hollingsworth says it is unviable for him to transport used car batteries from remote cattle stations. ( ABC Rural: Eric Barker )

The license at hand was for an "environmentally relevant activity," which was designed for industries with the potential to release emissions which impact on the environment and surrounding land uses.

However, Mr Hollingsworth said plenty of batteries lying around were causing environmental issues.

"They just sit there and the casings all deteriorate, the acid goes into the ground, then there's exposed lead there," he said.

Batteries piling up quickly

In the tropical climate of Queensland's gulf country, Burke Shire mayor and grazier Ernie Camp said car batteries were used quickly.

Like most cattle stations, Cr Camp's property had a dump full of used cars, scrap metal and batteries.

"It's going back a number of years until the last time somebody's collected batteries," he said.

"There was always a metal scavenger looking for copper and lead but we're going back 15 or 20 years since anybody's really had that interest."

The Floraville Station dump in the Burke Shire of Queensland's gulf country, has plenty of batteries backing up with nowhere to go. ( ABC Rural: Eric Barker )

Cr Camp said most cattle stations were relatively small users of car batteries compared to other industries, but said it was still a hazard.

"If some of our stock happened to have access to those leads [that] would be of concern, especially if it got in the meat supply chain," he said.

"We understand the need for licensing but in areas where it's not economical the policy of one-size-fits-all certainly doesn't subscribe to looking after the environment."

Missed opportunity for freight truck

The nearest recycling facility to Mr Hollingsworth's Burketown base is more than 1,000 kilometres away in Cairns, a trip he usually does with an empty truck.

He leaves Cairns with a full truck delivering fruit, vegetables and other groceries to some of Australia's most remote cattle stations, but the trip back caused some problems.

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"We're always trying to look for ways to get some back money for a bit of fuel," he said.

Mr Hollingsworth still planned to take batteries to the recycling plant but in loads of less than 250 kilograms, which he said was less than ideal.

"It's probably the only way we're going to be able to do it," he said.

"There's three quarters of an hour there to do that, which you're going to get very little return and you've got to do that every trip to make it work."

The Queensland Department of Environment and Science has been contacted for comment.