Western Australia has challenged the federal government to save close to 3000 jobs and billions of dollars worth of growth projects in the nickel industry, after BHP wrote down the value of its nickel business by $5.4 billion pre-tax and warned full suspension was possible.

Premier Roger Cook, whose government is expected to provide royalty relief to nickel miners, although several have already shut, said, “governments of all levels” needed to examine what can be done.