The Whyalla steelworks in South Australia has begun cutting hundreds of jobs after its blast furnace did not restart.

Reports place the number of positions at risk at 500 or more, with some saying over 600. The full scale of the cuts has not been confirmed.

At least 146 workers are confirmed as losing their jobs permanently.

The furnace shutdown pushed the company into making the cuts. The steelworks has not yet made an official announcement regarding the job losses, but one was anticipated soon.

The job cuts come after the failed restart of the blast furnace at the site.