Picket line grows outside Grafton prison

10 Jul 2012, 9:10 pm   -   Source: AAP

Hundreds of people are continuing to protest against the NSW government's downgrading of Grafton jail.

People are pitching tents, blowing up mattresses and transforming ute trays into beds as Grafton locals continue to protest against a NSW government plan to downgrade the town's jail.

Between 300 and 500 locals have been picketing outside the prison in northern NSW since Friday over plans to downgrade it from a 250-bed jail to a transient facility that would house just 60 prisoners.

Despite the protest about to head into its sixth day on Wednesday, Public Service Association (PSA) of NSW spokesman Shane O'Brien said larger numbers were flocking to the site.

"The picket line now has never been bigger," Mr O'Brien told AAP on Tuesday night.

"You used to be able to grab a chair but now it's standing room only."

Mr O'Brien said people were pitching tents and opting to sleep outdoors on mattresses and in their cars, trucks and utes.

"It has completely blown us away how much support we are getting from ordinary people," he said.

The ballooning picket line comes after about 1000 people rallied in the town at about midday on Tuesday.

Mr O'Brien said business owners, locals, police and prison officers were concerned moves to downgrade the prison would rip millions out of the local economy and cost more than 100 jobs.

"Ninety per cent of the people at the rally have no affiliation to the PSA or other unions," he said.

"I have never seen people happy to sit in the cold and give up their evenings when their jobs aren't directly affected.

"I think Grafton will be a stronger community for this."

The PSA has been undertaking statewide industrial action since Sunday evening, including banning visitors from all NSW jails and stopping workplace flexibility, which should lead to an increase in overtime.

Mr O'Brien said union officials "mapped out" an industrial strategy on Tuesday to deal with the government's plans but said he would not publicly disclose what that was in case of legal action.

Despite the ongoing protest, the NSW government has said it will surge ahead with plans to close the jail, saying the facility has reached its use-by date and maintenance alone costs NSW taxpayers millions of dollars each year.

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