THE Cairns Taipans expect a green light into the "new NBL" after meeting all criteria for admission into the revamped competition.

Yesterday’s decision by the Cairns Regional Council to provide a $1 million guarantee for the club means it now has ticked all the boxes for admission into the new league.

"We’ve removed all of the impediments to our entry so we’re expecting we’ll be admitted to the new league," Taipans president Denis Donaghy said.

Basketball Australia met last night to nut out the make-up of the new competition but an NBL spokesman said an announcement on the teams may not be made until after Easter.

But having raised the $500,000 working capital required for entry, as well as funds to buy the Taipans’ NBL licence from liquidators and now having the council sign off on the guarantee, the club expects to find itself in the new competition.

Basketball Australia’s expression of interest document for admission into the league says: "Each existing club that meets all criteria for admission will be included in the new NBL."

While the Taipans’ original submission said it would meet all criteria, it did not have the guarantee – originally sought from the State Government – locked in. BA has stuck firm to the guarantee requirement and yesterday’s council decision was crucial for the Taipans’ future.

People power helped save the Taipans and Donaghy said it would take an effort from the whole community to ensure the club worked.

"We’re going to work our fingers to the bone to make sure that we’re in a position that BA never has to call on that council guarantee," he said. "And I mean ‘we’. This is now a real community team and if it’s going to work, the whole community has to make it work.

"We’ve got good community support so far."

Some of that could come from the State Government, with Sport Minister Phil Reeves indicating last night he would talk to the club about sponsorship this week.

"The people of Cairns and their council are to be congratulated for supporting their local team who are great role models for the Cairns community, particularly for children and young people across Far North Queensland," Mr Reeves said. "We want to see how we can help the Taipans."

BA will unveil its new national branding in Melbourne today.

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