GETTING GO-AHEAD

Q AIn 1997, we got conditional approval to get into the league. Cazalys was backing us as the plan was to put the facility there. They funded the feasibility study and one of the conditions of the approval was that we needed a 5000-seat stadium to play in. The state premier at the time was in town in the wet season of 1998. We got a meeting with him and asked him if they would provide an interest-free loan to build our stadium at Cazalys. The feasibility study said it would work but it would not work on commercial borrowing. People said we were crazy but we knew we had got an interest-free loan previously for the airconditioning at Cairns Basketball. The state picked our brain for three months and then said they would build stage two of the Convention Centre instead. That was brought forward 10 years in the government plans as we had a provisional licence into the NBL. Eventually, Cazalys got their grandstand from the Gabba down in Brisbane.

The coming season is 20 years of the Taipans. That must make you proud to see the club still going today from the work you and others put in all those years ago?

ACan you please tell me the story about how the Taipans started?

Incredibly. Not just the 20 years but proud of the community and their support through tough times. The cherry on top is CQUniversity putting their sports science base at Cairns Basketball – that is a huge tick. It is all in good shape. It is great to go to games these days and just sit and watch and enjoy instead of worrying.