“Starting this year, yes, there is already an instruction to all heads of districts and mayors across Bali,” he said in Denpasar on Sunday.
“After handling the floods, we will meet again to ensure no more permits are issued for hotels, restaurants, or other facilities on productive land, especially rice fields,” Koster added.
The bylaw is expected to be enacted in 2025, in line with the Bali New Era 100-Year Development Plan set for 2025–2125.
“Starting this year, the land conversion ban will align with Bali’s 100-year plan. From 2025 onward, no productive land can be converted into commercial facilities,” he said.
For land conversion into private residences, the Bali provincial government will impose selective permits, allowing only landowners to build houses, not commercial properties.
Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq explained that one of the reasons Bali failed to withstand heavy rainfall, which caused major floods on Wednesday, September 10, was insufficient forest cover in upstream watershed areas.
He strongly supported the moratorium on development or the prohibition of converting productive land into commercial use, especially tourism accommodations.
“This is also crucial for Bali’s tourism, as the recent flooding has drawn serious attention,” the minister said.
“I actually told the governor last week that I really hope he will immediately stop land conversions in Bali. This is extremely important,” he added.
Regarding existing buildings, he said the matter would be handled by the Bali provincial government, noting that while changes cannot be made arbitrarily, the issue is vital for Bali’s resilience as a small island.
For business expansion plans, the minister suggested optimizing existing buildings to increase capacity without seizing additional land.
“There should be no further expansion because Bali’s position is no longer strong enough to withstand natural calibrations. The governor will handle this carefully, not in a frontal way,” Hanif Faisol said.
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Translator: Primayanti
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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