I live near Gympie in south-eastern Queensland. I work for Forestry
Plantations Queensland (FPQ), a government corporation. At
present I’m based at Fraser Coast Forest Management Area,
comprising 90 000 hectares of exotic pine plantation.
My current research project—part of a Masters in Natural
Resource Studies with the University of
Queensland (UQ)—is supported by FPQ and I am affiliated
with the CRC for Forestry’s Research Program
Three ‘Harvesting and operations’. I am also
participating in the National Forestry
Masters Program.
My research project is supervised by Dr Madan
Gupta, Senior Lecturer in Agricultural Engineering at UQ, and
Dr Jeff
Tullberg of UQ and CTF Solutions Pty Ltd.
The project examines application of GPS guidance technology and
methods to plantation site preparation machinery and operations. I
will look at environmental, economic and management benefits.
The final report will be based on a literature review along with
extensive interviews with forest managers, plant operators, GIS
experts, and private industry consultants. I hope it will be the
basis of a field trial to test GPS guidance technology, GPS and GIS
requirements, and training and management implications.
