It's been a rough start to 2016 for Australian nickel producers with low prices, job cuts and mine closures across the nation.

At the current price of just US$3.86 a pound, 70% of the nation's nickel producers are making a loss.

This week alone, there have been redundancies in Western Australia's Kambalda region and Queensland Nickel, which includes the Yabulu refinery, was placed into administration.

• [Editor:Juan]