Addressing concerns over privatisation by hotels and villas, Governor Wayan Koster plans to enforce new regulations to ensure public access to Bali’s beaches.
Bali Governor Wayan Koster has expressed strong concerns regarding the increasing beach privatisation by hotels and villas, which has restricted local access to public spaces. Several hotels and villas have reportedly installed barriers and designated certain beach areas as exclusive zones.
In response, Koster stated that he would issue regulations to protect beaches and coastlines, ensuring that the rights of the Balinese people are upheld, particularly for traditional ceremonies, social activities, and economic purposes.
“The beaches and coastlines must still be accessible to local people, not treated as if they belong solely to the surrounding hotels and villas. This is certainly not beneficial for the Balinese community. This regulation is being introduced to safeguard access for traditional, social, and economic activities,” said Koster as quoted from the press on Thursday, the 6th of March.
During the Plenary Meeting of the Bali Provincial DPRD on the previous Tuesday, the 4th of March, Koster had also emphasised how coastal protection remains one of his key priorities. He reiterated that property ownership applies only to land and does not extend to beaches, which cannot be controlled unilaterally by private entities.
“One of our priorities is coastal protection so that the [Balinese] people are not further marginalised from public spaces that should be accessible for traditional ceremonies and livelihoods,” he said.
Koster also added, “The beach is part of the life of the Balinese people. We want to make sure that their rights are protected.”
In addition to an effort to protect coastal access, the government of Bali is currently formulating a provincial policy that will also regulate the protection of productive land, tourism business regulations, and the establishment of Regional-Owned Enterprises (BUMD) in strategic sectors.
“We want Bali’s development to not only focus on investment but also pay attention to the interests of local communities,” Koster concluded.