Council debated long and hard the proposal to support the new Taipans by guaranteeing the $1 million they need to get into the National Basketball League.

Council's main role is usually in providing sporting grounds and facilities, allocating grants and rates relief to sporting clubs and providing support to club operations.

This time Council decided that it was important to help both the Taipans and business confidence in the Cairns region and not let our only national sporting team disappear. Jobs, jobs, jobs. The Taipans promote this region on the national stage and it's estimated that they boost the economy by $3M per year.

If the community gets in behind the Taipans - where overheads and expenses have been reduced and players have taken cuts in salaries - then there will be no risk that ratepayers money will need to be used in the three years the guarantee stands. Council has not given the Taipans any money contrary to what some people think.