Step 7 – Consider costs, funding and making the biggest impact

1.    What are the costs to consider?

There are many costs to consider when implementing and running an AWM operation:

• operational costs: people on the ground providing advice and information, community engagement events, deploying and monitoring traps, conducting host removal activities, materials and equipment, traps and associated materials, print-outs and other communication material, equipment for tree removal
• coordination, depending on: the area you are covering, how many people need to be involved, a person to make sure all activities are being undertaken, data recording and storing, and review
• organisational: office space and equipment for governance group activities, data analysis, reviewing and setting direction of the program for example (these costs are often overlooked).

2.    How are we going to fund it?

The next step towards people taking part and adopting AWM is the willingness to pay to support an AWM program in the long-term.

Each grower has their own individual and business circumstances, and these circumstances affect how much they are willing, and can afford, to pay. Growers may be slow to want to adopt an AWM program at first, because growers will be less inclined to support activities that interfere with their current on-farm practices. Growers are generally more concerned about how to manage the off-farm landscapes around them and have shown support for urban efforts.

Communities could provide regular financial contributions to an AWM program. A large proportion of residents are willing to pay annually to help manage and control Qfly in town. In return for their payments, residents expect to receive on-property tree management or tree-netting services, less use of pesticides in the farming area in the long-term, and community-wide distribution of traps. Residents have different preferences and ability to pay.

Check out our research on both grower and community willingness to pay for Area Wide Management.

3.    Where will resources make the most impact?

Analysing Qfly trap data shows that managing pests in towns is critical. This is because of ‘reservoirs’ of flies in urban areas that cause commercial properties located nearby to have higher and more persistent Qfly populations.

Being aware and monitoring seasonal patterns – and particularly making an effort in the parts of the landscape where Qfly first emerges – is likely to pay off in suppressing Qfly populations throughout the rest of the year.