FEDERAL MP Barnaby Joyce has pulled a few strings on behalf of Walcha business owners unpaid by the NSW Rural Fire Service.
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OK Earthmoving co-owner Peter O'Keefe was owed about $1.4 million until a fortuitous phone call from the Member for New England, two days later his bills were being paid.
Mr Joyce said he had no idea why some family-business owners had waited up to five months to be paid for machinery used to fight bushfires.
"I'm not privvy to how it operates, but I am sure the bureaucrats are getting paid on time," he said.
"It's a state government responsibility but when people contact you they get frustrated."
Mr O'Keefe has worked with the organisation on-and-off for the last 25 years.
His machinery has been on the fire ground for the last 153 days non-stop, and only brought the last machine back last week.
Now his company is doing rehabilitation work to fix damage done by the fires.
"I made a few inquiries over Christmas with unsatisfactory results," Mr O'Keefe said.
"Barnaby Joyce contacted me, believe it or not, and he's a federal guy with a state issue who heard I hadn't been getting paid.
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"He said to leave it with him and within two days I had payment coming through."
Mr O'Keefe was an RFS volunteer captain himself for 15 years in Yarrowitch, east of Walcha.
He is still owed more than $738,000 but the payment is not overdue.