A West Australian council is spending a record amount of ratepayer money on mosquito management, amid concerns high mosquito numbers could threaten the lifestyle of residents on the outskirts of Perth.
The Shire of Murray usually budgets around $20,000 a year for mosquito control, but higher than usual mosquito numbers mean this year it will cost about $80,000.
President David Bolt said the spend on spraying, counting, and monitoring mosquitoes had swelled significantly in the past two years.
"Our program for spraying has effectively reduced the number of mosquitoes by about 90 per cent over the previous three years but this last year has been quite unseasonable, so it has been quite a challenge keeping on top of it."
Three major rivers run through the Shire of Murray, making the region prime real estate for mosquitoes, and council has identified 600 areas within the shire where the creatures breed.
Mr Bolt said more money would be needed going forward.
"When mosquitoes are affecting people's enjoyment of life ... we want to make sure it doesn't affect their lifestyle too much," he said.
"People like to get out in this region.
"We want to make sure we're on top of that to make sure we're tracking well and keeping those numbers down."
'A real challenge' for councils
In recent years, the CSIRO has warned of a surge in mosquito numbers across Australia, due to La Niña weather which brings about wetter summers and warmer oceans.
It has prompted WA councils to think up creative solutions to monitor them and keep them at bay.
University of Sydney mosquito expert Cameron Webb said the changing temperature was blowing out the mosquito season and unpredictable weather was a "real challenge" for local governments dealing with the pests.
Dr Webb said more people were moving to mosquito-heavy areas and noticing the issue.
"Some of the most important pest mosquitoes we have in Australia live in these coastal, estuarine wetlands, places like salt marshes, fedges and mangrove areas," he said
"We all want to live along the coast and as more people butt up against the coast and come up in close contact with mosquito habitats, the impacts of mosquitoes are going to be felt much more widely.
WA Health 'exhausted' mosquito budget
In the past, the WA Health Department has matched council funding for mosquito management.
Its Contiguous Local Authorities Group funding scheme was set up to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in WA and helps cover the cost of mosquito larvicides, public education and helicopter aerial sprays in parts of the South West where Ross River virus is prominent.
However, the Shire of Murray was told earlier this year the department did not have any more funding available for the program this financial year.
In a response to the council's request for money, a WA Health Department spokesperson said the budget for the program had been "exhausted".
Another spokesperson for the department said the money was in high demand due to challenging environmental conditions.
"In these above-average years, there is significant pressure to undertake mosquito management and many councils in the Perth, Peel and South West have consequently expended their funding allocation."
