The Dizzying Heights Of Common Sense
There is a strange law in Bali that states that nobody can construct any building taller than a coconut tree. It first came about due to the public outcry that followed the opening of the 11 storey Grand Bali Beach Hotel in the mid-60s, with the main reason behind the regulation being the protection of the holiness of the Balinese Hindu temple. Simply speaking, when a building is taller than 15 metres (the average size of said palm tree), it will be higher than the height of a temple and can consequently pollute the holiness of the temple itself.
Of course, like many laws, it can be bent somewhat on occasion to suit the needs of those involved, rather like a coconut tree can. Many buildings in Bali have pushed or are pushing the limits of the law quite blatantly. One recent case saw a popular new beachfront hotel having to demolish its rooftop bar while another hotel did it more subtly by building on the edge of cliff. Some just seem to blatantly ignore the law altogether and just build up.
Currently that law is being challenged as developers find less and less land available for development in the lower reaches of Bali’s built up areas. At a recent provincial planning meeting held late last year, Bali’s Governor boldly floated the idea of revamping the regulations to allow buildings up to 33m tall, with officials citing the limitation on building height as a major factor in the loss of hundreds of hectares of arable land every year. The Governor went on to say that he found it hard to understand why buildings are limited to 15 metres in height in Bali, pointing to the Grand Bali Beach Hotel, which, according to the Governor, causes no problems.
There is strong opposition for such a move from many of Bali’s religious leaders, academics, politicians and those in the tourism industry.
I Gusti Bagus Yudhara, past chairman of the Bali branch of the Indonesian Association of Travel Agents (ASITA), said that any change to current height restriction, even for public buildings, hospitals and universities would only be used as the basis for seeking wider exemptions for other classes of buildings in the future, such as hotels and apartment buildings.
He said taller buildings would add to the general disorder in Bali and put added strain on an already over-burdened infrastructure. Tjokorda Artha Ardhana Sukawati, Chairman of the Bali Chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), concurs, and sees no need for a modification to the current rules, fearing any change would have a negative impact on Bali’s tourism industry. Rice or tourism? It’s a tough issue and one that will not go away in a hurry and any hasty move to change the law could turn into a development free-for-all that would run the risk of turning Bali into another generic high-rise beach resort like Australia’s Gold Coast, which would in turn affect the special character of the island and its long-term sustainability as a tourism destination.
