BULELENG, BALI – Bali Governor Wayan Koster personally led the demolition of an illegal villa complex situated within the Pejarakan Social Forestry area in Gerokgak, Buleleng Regency, on Saturday, September 12, 2026. The direct action underscores the provincial administration's aggressive crackdown on development projects that violate local spatial and environmental regulations.
"Do not play around with the laws and regulations in force in Bali," Governor Koster stated at the site, reinforcing his commitment to safeguarding the island's protected forest zones and preserving social forestry management parameters.
Unlicensed Tourism Development in Protected Forest
The enforcement action follows findings by the TRAP Special Committee (Pansus TRAP), which identified commercial accommodation facilities operating without proper environmental or spatial authorization within the Pejarakan Village Forest.
Covering 700 hectares and supporting roughly 3,262 local households, the Pejarakan Social Forestry area has been officially managed by LPHD Wana Makmur under Ministry of Environment and Forestry Decree SK.3583/MENLHK-PSKL/PKPS/PSL.0/6/2020. A review of the Social Forestry Management Plan (RKPS) revealed that the villa construction was completely absent from approved regional plans.
Before initiating the demolition, authorities issued three formal warning letters to the property owner, requesting voluntary removal. After these warnings went unheeded, state forces were deployed to dismantle the structures.
Regulatory Violations and Foreign Investment Probes
Located in Banjar Dinas Goris Kemiri, the unauthorized villa complex lacked several critical permits, including:
Underground Water Extraction Permit (ABT): Unlawful extraction of groundwater had already commenced without state approval.
Building Approval (PBG): Construction proceeded without official building permits from the regional licensing agency.
Landscape Governance Study: No required ecological or landscape impact assessments were conducted.
Governor Koster revealed that investigators are also tracking potential legal violations regarding foreign ownership. "There are indications of foreign national involvement financing this project through local nominees. We are tracing this and will take stern legal action," Koster noted.
Following the demolition, the Bali Provincial Environmental and Forestry Office was instructed to immediately begin reforestation and ecological restoration on the cleared land.
