Forests New South Wales is implementing GPS, mobile internet and GIS technologies to aid timber harvesting in the state.

The system will provide contractors and machine operators with real-time maps displaying their location and position relative to exclusion area boundaries.

An important benefit from the project is the automated recording of exactly where the harvest machinery has traversed and point data showing the locations where saw-cuts are made.

It can also show flora and fauna exclusions and also such things such as drainage lines. A close proximity alarm also notifies the operator when approaching such hazard areas.

The department is also upgrading its forestry management system to capture data from the harvesters.

The system, which will go live later this year, will use GIS tools to analyse the data collected in the field.

In 2009 Peter Achterstraat, New South Wales auditor-general,  released a performance audit report on the operations of Forests New South Wales, which recommended the department upgrade its technologies systems.

Progress on the upgrades was outlined in a letter to the auditor-general released just before Christmas.