Manuka Occasional Childcare Centre supporters have rallied against a land swap that would see them forced off their prime parcel of inner-south land to make way for a club, saying they "deserve better".
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More than 100 staff, parents, grandparents and children gathered to launch the group's "I love MOCCA" campaign to voice their opposition to the controversial plan at the Griffith centre on Sunday.
The ACT government has faced a wave of fury over a lack of consultation with the childcare centre and nearby Telopea Park School over plans to transfer the school's tennis courts to MOCCA so that land can be developed by the Canberra Services Club.
Director Robby McGarvey told the crowd that MOCCA's staff wanted to be clear they had not volunteered to leave and were being forced off the Flinders Way site.
"Our ask has always been and will always be, if you want us to leave you have to give MOCCA land and a building. That's what we want and that's what we're asking for."
Ms McGarvey said the centre had entered into "positive conversations" with the ACT government and hoped for "the best possible outcome for MOCCA".
"We have been in the community for at least 88 years and we have been providing a community-based service to the inner south for all these years and we deserve better."
"We're here to say that we expect and we request the ACT government to give us a fair and reasonable deal."
Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced plans to hand the centre's site to the club, which was destroyed by fire three years ago, in February this year.
Parent Damien Hickman, whose two children were the second generation in his wife's family to go to the centre, said the not-for-profit centre had played a vital role in the lives of countless Canberra families.
"MOCCA is an important part of the inner-south community and what it represents for providing a good, solid foundation for our children to be happy, well-functioning young people and adults to put back into the community."
Grandfather Peter Cooksaid he had written to Mr Barr protesting the "predatory way" the matter was dealt with and a lack of public discussion.
"It seems to me we've got an extraordinary game of political game of chess going on."
Greens minister Shane Rattenburyacknowledged at Sunday's event that MOCCA had been "caught by surprise".
"They've been caught up in a process that's very much about solving the rebuilding of the Canberra Services Club, and a solution's been put together that was trying to solve a whole lot of things and it hasn't worked for the community.
"I think the government does need to think more about it and come up with a better solution than what's currently proposed. I'm hopeful that we can find one."
