THE Port Lincoln City Council may consider not funding the new Eyre and Western Regional Development Australia Board and withdrawing from the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association because it is not represented on the RDA board.

The new RDA board will replace the Whyalla Economic Development Board and the Eyre Regional Development Board, which includes Port Lincoln City Council councillor Malcolm Catt as a board member.

But the new board has only four local government representatives - two from the Whyalla City Council and two from the rest of Eyre Peninsula.

The two Eyre Peninsula local government representatives, elected by the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association, are Alan Suter from Ceduna and Allan Edwards from Cleve.

Port Lincoln City Council chief executive officer Geoff Dodd argued at two EPLGA meetings for Port Lincoln to have direct representation built into the structure but it was not endorsed by EPLGA members.

Councillors have now asked Mr Dodd for a report on why the Port Lincoln City Council should remain a member of the EPLGA.

The Port Lincoln City Council withdrew from the EPLGA in 2004 because it felt it was not getting good value for money and only rejoined in 2007 after the association reviewed its structure and priorities.

However councillor Malcolm Catt said the situation with the RDA board made him think it was the same case again.

"When you consider what we pay I'm not sure we get too many benefits, particularly after this debacle."

If the council withdrew its membership from the EPLGA and chose not to provide funding to the new RDA Mr Catt suggested the money could be spent to employ an economic development officer for Port Lincoln.

Funding agreements with councils for the existing boards are only in place until December 31.

Councillor Jim Papazoglov said the council had to consider the option that if Malcolm Catt was not on the new RDA board it would not provide any funding.

Mr Dodd said it would be prudent for the council not to make any funding commitment beyond December 31 until the Eyre and Western RDA operational model, business plan and strategies were determined by the new board, presented to the council and shown to be in the city's best interests.