Residents of one regional city have not let a funding knock-back get them down, re-applying for and now receiving a package worth $5 million.

Port Pirie’s CBD will get the revamp locals have wanted with the multi-million dollar grant from the latest round of the Regional Development Australia Fund. It will have partly restored the faith of Port Pirie Mayor Brenton Vanstone. He had been critical of the fund's last round when money was allocated to city-based projects interstate.

Mayor Vanstone may still be sceptical, saying: “It will be very interesting to see what happens post-election... so we are waiting, we've had $5 million promised, we hope that whatever party's elected, whatever colour or persuasion, that they remain committed to the $5 million for the city of Port Pirie.”

South Australian Labor Senator Alex Gallacher says it shows non-partisan support for regional communities: “Here we have a very safe Liberal seat, where we have invested millions and millions, in fact ... over $200 million in a safe Liberal seat, not because of politics but because we do care about the regions and the regional cities,” he said.