Administration to revise regs on high-rises

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 11/07/2007 5:15 PM  |  National

Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

The Bali provincial administration said it was set to re-evaluation highrise development restrictions, particularly one that used coconut trees as a yard stick, to prevent the island's ""green areas"" from disappearing.

The development regulation in question was enacted more than 20 years ago and has prevented the construction of buildings more than 15 meters-high or exceeding the peak of local coconut trees.

But observers said the regulation has resulted in horizontal, land-consuming expansion and developments across the island's most urbanized areas.

And this had seen Bali's rice fields and green belts disappear to make way for offices, housing complexes, shop-houses, hotels and others, Bali's Governor Dewa Made Beratha said.

Beratha said Bali's population and economic growth had seen areas previously put away for ""green functions"" turned into housing complexes, offices or shop-houses.

But he said the over-development issue had been recently raised during a sitting of executives and members of the local legislative council and that actions would be taken soon.

""Each region, city or regency will be re-evaluated to determine the areas where construction of highrises ... will be allowed,"" Beratha said.

""But not all areas will be free for highrise buildings.

""We will surely invite members of the legislative council to specifically discuss this.""

Tabanan Regent N. Adi Wiryatama said the number of paddy fields was ""shrinking fast"" at a rate of about 107.25 hectares per year.

In 2002, he said paddy fields in Tabanan reached 22,842 hectares.

Adi said the count had fallen to 22,413 hectares in 2006 with the fields used to build housing complexes, among other developments.

The governor said he was concerned about the development at the Tabanan, because it was recognized as Bali's rice development center.

""I prefer to see green areas everywhere whenever I go to Tabanan,"" Beratha said.

""It's a pity certain areas which used to be green have changed into complexes with concrete buildings,"" he said.

Adi however said he was responsible for being ""unable to prevent the conversion"" of paddy fields into residential areas.

""But it could not have been prevented due to the effect of the regulation prohibiting the construction of highrise buildings,"" he said.

""As the development is being conducted horizontally, many areas are sacrificed for that purposes.

""It's already time to re-evaluate the policy,"" he said.

Meanwhile, the Denpasar city administration has given tax subsidies to land owners who maintain their properties as green areas.

Made Sudana, head of the data and registration at Denpasar's revenue office, said the policy had been in place since 2003 with the aim of preserving green areas.

""It was applied in response to the rapid development in Denpasar -- as the capital and economic center of Bali,"" Sudana said.

The subsidies had increased every year and in the year 2007, the budget earmarked for the subsidies had reached Rp 1.5 billion (US$166,600), he said.

Ketut Karyasa Adnyana, head of Commission D of the Bali Legislative Council, said he welcomed the governor's intention to revise the regulation of highrise building.

But he said there had to be clear zoning because not all areas would be free for the construction of highrise buildings. He said the island's beauty was still the most important issue.

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