Tourists Warned Demolition Orders Could Be Issued At More Bali Beaches 

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Tourists, digital nomads, and expats in Bali are being warned that more demolitions could be on the cards at the island’s top resorts.

As demolition work continues in Bali’s Bingin Beach, leaders are weighing up options for building violations identified at Uluwatu’s Balangan Beach and Melasti Beach. 

As demolition work continues at Bingin Beach on more than 45 business properties, leaders are working to establish the best course of action for violations found at Balangan Beach and Melasti Beach.

More than 30 businesses in Balangan Beach and Melasti Beach have been found to be violating spatial planning laws, building regulations, encroaching onto state-owned land, or operating without the correct business permits and licences.

Business closure orders and premises demolition orders are not off the cards, and have legal backing in the eyes of the Bali Provincial Government and Badung Regency Government. 

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The Acting Head of the Badung Public Works and Public Housing Agency, Nyoman R Karyasa, told reporters this week that businesses identified to have been breaking the law have been issued administrative sanctions in accordance with Regional Regulation 4/2025.

The sanctions for now are in the form of a series of warning letters and have been sent to businesses, the majority of which are beach clubs. 

Karyasa told reporters, “At Balangan Beach, there are approximately 20 business activities that utilize space in the local protection zone, and at Melasti Beach, there are eight that we have followed up on.”

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He added, “These businesses were built in locations not designated for their intended purpose.” Noting “We have submitted the data collection results to the regional regulation enforcement officers for further action,” 

A report published by the Badung Tourism Agency, shared this week’s government working group meeting, confirmed the results of inspections of permits and land ownership of 21 business owners at Balangan Beach. It was found that 17 business owners were unable to produce their land ownership certificates (SHM).

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Though demolitions remain a likely course of action, given the zero-tolerance approach issued at Bingin Beach, the Regent of Badung, Wayan Adi Arnawa, has given his assurances that further investigations will be carried out.

He told reporters, “The situation at Bingin Beach is different, right? That (Bingin Beach) was a development that was beyond our knowledge, on state land, without our permission, so we took steps.”

He emphasized to reporters that the Badung Regency Government will not automatically issue demolition orders upon discovery of violations. Rather, an assessment of the severity of violations and the socio-environmental impacts of the building’s demolition remains a priority in deciding the best course of action.

Speaking separately to reporters, the Badung Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) Speaker, I Gusti Anom Gumanti, shared his hopes that demolition orders could be avoided at Balangan Beach and Melasti Beach. 

Gumanti said, “There’s an elegant approach that can be taken, namely, sitting down together. If it’s the local government’s domain, then we can communicate with the local government. It could take the form of cooperation or something, I think.”

He reiterated his stance that demolition orders should only be issued as a last resort in the event of truly irreparable violations.

This week, officials within the Bali Provincial Government, Badung Regency Government, and related agencies have raised concerns that the intensive crackdowns on businesses in the Uluwatu area and across the island may have a negative impact on tourists, entrepreneurs, and potential investors in the long run.

Many feel that while the law must be enforced and tourism development better regulated, this current round of investigations, with the threat of demolitions, could be doing more harm than good to Bali’s reputation and even the environment.