Bali News / Bali Travel and Holiday Updates

The magical beauty offered by the sand and water attraction of Bali beach has been continuously creating problems. Investors are eagerly chasing opportunities to build beach front private villas, many of them are taking up the natural beauty and ignoring environmental impacts. Shoreline of Gianyar, Kuta, Tanah Lot, Candidasa, down to currently sleepy fishing villages far away from the greater south like Kelanting in Soka Beach and Medewi Beach in Jembrana.

The regency of Gianyar has the shortest coastline compared to other regencies in Bali, about 15 kilometers in total. However development of holiday properties especially private villas are sprouting along the quiet magical black-sandy beach, resulting in massive change in space allocation, with the worst cases take place in Cucukan beach with significant increase in number private villas during the last five years. Saba beach shows similar pattern, a number of private villas are cascading around Sukaluwih Temple, forcing those coming to the temple for prayer and ceremonies to go through the villa neighborhood.

It is going to get even worse as long as the government does not take strict enforcement of land zoning regulation. A member of the house of representative of Gianyar insisted the government to pay careful attention to related regulation before issuing permits for more holiday developments. Traditional villages were also required to support the government to enforce regulation instead of being caught by incidental financial contribution made by development investors.

Involvement of residents of the village where the developments were taking place is very important as as issuance of construction permits are very much depends on support of surrounding residents. Investors tend to influence their opinion by offering donation to local community.

Head of the regency’s office for area development Wayan Dirgayusa, S.H. said that his office will immediately take an action closely monitor construction along the shoreline, including more strict in issuing new permits. Land zoning is regulated by provicial government regulation No. 3/2005 implemented in detail under regency’s regulation. “There regulation clearly lays out which areas allowed for developments and vice versa”, he explained.

Lack of government control allowed construction of 35 Bali beach front villas on Kelating beach to commence even before application for construction permit submitted.