With the Women's World Cup coming up i doubt NZF would want to waste any money on the AW, I think all the funding will go towards getting the Ferns up to standard. I could be wrong but NZF do have a history of neglect.
I think this is actually a good call. The AWs have been completely put out to pasture and I really can't see any meaningful games happening in enough abundance for any kind of result in the playoff. Our women were poor in Japan and I'd prefer to see them do well in a WWC on home soil.
Qatar is also a nasty country in the way it abuses young Asian men and women. Been there and seen how they are treated first hand. I never want to go back, but if the AWs made it to the WC would be hard to stay away so personally, failing to qualify would remove the need to visit such a horrible place which should never have won hosting rights in the first place.