The State Prison Service said that over the next 10 days, 420 inmates and 200 staff will be moved to other facilities while the Wellington facility will be cleaned and repaired.
Wellington Prison, one of the largest in New South Wales, is set to close for about four months.
Rats have been in prison since 2020, but recently their number has increased. “The animals’ bodies start to decompose, then the mites become a problem, and we don’t want to expose the staff and the inmates to anything that might put their health at risk,” State Prison Chief Peter Severin explains.
The rodents also caused extensive damage to the facility’s infrastructure. The station reported that rats ate the destroyed cables and roof panels.
Farmers in eastern Australia have been fighting rats for months. Farmers regret that they are now facing another catastrophe after many years of devastating drought. Rodents eat wheat from warehouses, and they also destroy grain directly in the fields.
