An inner south childcare centre may be forced to close its doors to make way for the Canberra Services Club as part of an ACT government land swap deal.
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Earlier this month Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced the new club will be built on the current site of Manuka Occasional Childcare Centre, with the centre relocated to a purpose-built 100-place facility on New South Wales Crescent.
Director Robby McGarvey said the Flinders Way centre had been requested to move to Montgomery Oval.
While the new location was an attractive location there was one big problem: the centre cannot afford to develop or lease the site.
Ms McGarvey said the centre had been offered two options: build and operate the new facility or lease a new facility off a commercial developer.
"Unfortunately neither option is financially feasible," she said.
"The government is not going to build and pay for the new centre. The government is not building any more child care centres, that's what we've been told.
"The government has every right to evict us, which is horrible. If there is no other option at all, MOCCA will have to close it's doors – and I don't see that as an option at all."
The new 100-place centre will replace four tennis courts used by Telopea Park students, while the government has committed $800,000 for the construction of new sporting facilities at the school.
Ms McGarvey said she was delighted with the convenient location offered.
She hoped the government would fund the new facility and continue to offer the centre a peppercorn lease – a small nominal rent sum – or a financially-viable alternative in the area.
The centre's concerns were discussed with the Land Development Agency on Thursday night.
"They're going to get back to us in a couple of weeks," Ms McGarvey said. "There's just so much uncertainty."
Manuka Childcare has been operating from Flinders Way since 1963 and was formerly the site of the Mothercraft Society promoting infant health from 1927.
It is licensed for 77 children a day and employs 22 educators including relief workers.
Ms McGarvey said the centre had strong ties with the Manuka community and had been awarded the ACT Education and Care Gala Community Engagement Award in November.
"This is our community; this is our place of belonging," she said.
Centre committee president and parent Paula Claudianos said she was "dumb-founded" by the situation and described the broader reaction as "absolutely devastating".
"Fingers crossed the community backs us," she said.
"One of my favourite things is when I pick up my son and they've done the walk-around and stopped at the book shop and the wonderful people there have read to them ... and the cafe has made babycinos. It would be an immense loss. "
Ms Claudianos said the move would also prevent the centre from offering childcare support to families in need.
A spokesman for Mr Barr said the government was in discussions with the centre about the proposed move.
He said the site would be zoned for an early childhood education and care facility. The first right of refusal to operate a service would be offered to Manuka Childcare.
"We have every intention of working with MOCCA to accommodate their relocation to the Telopea Park site and that is all we are considering at this point in time," the spokesman said.
"We are still very hopeful that MOCCA will relocate to the site ... allowing for a larger childcare facility in the Manuka area. We are not currently considering any other options."
He said the government hoped to auction the Telopea Park site later this year, which would allow adequate consultation time to work through any issues raised by the centre.
