The management of Bali’s famous GWK Cultural Park has come under scrutiny from local communities and the provincial government following complaints that the attraction’s perimeter wall is blocking access to villages for local residents.
The GWK Cultural Park is the most significant cultural tourist attraction on the Bukit Peninsula, situated within the village of Ungasan, adjacent to Uluwatu.
Residents of Ungasan have long raised concerns and frustrations that the boundary wall of the GWK Cultural Park impedes easy village access and negatively impacts their daily activities.
The issue has recently caught the attention of Bali Governor Wayan Koster and the Bali Provincial Government, who have now issued orders for a stretch of the perimeter wall to be dismantled to help improve the situation for local people.
The GWK Cultural Park has shared their ‘regrets’ at the impact the wall has had on the local community since it was built in 2024. Bali’s Governor Wayan Koster announced on Monday, 29th September, “I have asked GWK to open the wall so that access for the community who have been using it daily, including school children and people working from their villages to their place, can return to normal.”
Although the wall has been built on private land owned by GWK Cultural Park and its investors, Governor Koster shared his belief that there should be no negative implications for GWK Cultural Park as a business if it follows orders and dismantles the wall.
Governor Koster explained, “I don’t think GWK will suffer any loss by allowing the road to continue to function and be used by the public.” The Bali Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) has echoed statements made by the provincial leaders, and Deputy Speaker I Wayan Disel Astawa has formally issued GWK Cultural Park with one week to dismantle the wall, else the wall will be demolished by officers from the Satpol PP, who are the civil service police.
Astawa told reporters, “Matters concerning the interests of the local community must be disclosed immediately.”
He added, “If it’s not opened, we, the DPR, together with the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), the Assets Bureau, the Badung Regency Government, and the community, will open the wall and move it to the east, so that community activities can be carried out comfortably.”
A spokesperson for GWK Cultural Park told reporters, “We regret the issuance of a recommendation from the Bali Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) asking GWK to dismantle the fence within one week.”
The attraction has shared its side of the story with the press, confirming that it socialized the building of the wall with the 600 residents of Banjar Giri Dharma in Ungasan Village between April 30, 2024, and July 10, 2024, before the wall was built between September 10 and 20, 2024.
The spokesperson confirmed, “GWK has submitted a plan for the fencing activity. The fencing carried out by GWK is being carried out on land owned by PT. Garuda Adhimatra Indonesia (GAIN), so GWK has the capacity to erect the fence.”
However, the Bali DPRD Secretary, Nyoman Oka Antara, wants to see the situation resolved even more quickly. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday afternoon, he called for the wall to be demolished within a matter of hours.
He told the press, “This has harmed the Balinese people. We must be firmer and show no mercy, and the…wall which blocks access for residents must be dismantled.”
The GWK Cultural Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bali, and is home to one of the island’s most famous landmarks. The Garuda Winsu Kenyan Statue stands at 121m tall and, on a clear day, can be seen as far away as Canggu.
The demotion orders at GWK Cultural Park come just weeks after major demolition work started at Uluwatu’s Bingin Beach, after an investigation by the Badung Regency Government found that more than 30 buildings at the popular tourist hangout spot were built violating spatial planning laws.
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James
Friday 3rd of October 2025
“This has harmed the Balinese people. We must be firmer and show no mercy, and the wall which blocks access for residents must be dismantled.”
This is not about 'no mercy', but instead you should for once just follow rules and regulations. I don't care about GWK, but reading this they are in their right. Meaning the simple fact that that left over road is too small is because it was created illegally in the first place. As so many other roads and shortcuts on this island.
Don't cry and start tearing things down again like toddlers, fix it whilst upholding rules, laws and regulations, like adults. Don't break down, built a better road. Legally.
Shorty
Saturday 4th of October 2025
@James,
Relax. A happy sensible solution has been agreed to
Exp
Thursday 2nd of October 2025
DPRD Secretary, Nyoman Oka Antara called for the wall to be demolished within a matter of hours. He told the press, “This has harmed the Balinese people. We must be firmer and show no mercy.
Yepp. This time Jakarta based businessmen against the Balinese.