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Judicial review request filed for East Kalimantan spatial planning bylaw
A civil society coalition in East Kalimantan filed an application for a judicial review of a spatial planning bylaw with the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, alleging unjust area designations favored investors instead of the public.
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Heavy equipment and trucks pass through a coal mine in East Kalimantan on Aug. 19, 2016. (Antara/Wahyu Putro A)
N. Adri/Balikpapan
A civil society coalition in East Kalimantan filed an application for a judicial review of a spatial planning bylaw with the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, alleging unjust area designations favored investors instead of the public.
The East Kalimantan Civil Coalition (KMS) filed for the judicial review on Tuesday, the group's spokesman Carolus Tuah said.
The coalition consisted of several groups, such as the Balikpapan Advocates for the Environment, the East Kalimantan Indigenous People's Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and Greenpeace Indonesia.
The group filed a request for the court to review several articles in the 2016 Bylaw on Spatial Planning for 2016 to 2036 related to the main facility network, power networks, karst maps and details of the mine development.
"Public spaces had been plotted by coal miners, palm plantations and industry forests that have kicked locals out of their own areas. The bylaw facilitates investment interest instead of public interest," he added.
He said in the spatial planning bylaw, coal mines had 5.2 million hectares in area, followed by palm plantations with 3.5 million hectares. The figures are in contrast with agricultural plantations, which have a total area of 412,096 hectares.
Morever, the bylaw also arranged to protect a karst area of only 307,337 hectares, 8.43 percent of all karst areas in the province, which reached 3.6 million hectares.
Governor Awang Faroek Ishak said the bylaw had been arranged in accordance with East Kalimantan's geographic conditions and potential. The bylaw would also help provide certainty over area designation in the regency and cities.
"It will later on help increase investments and regional development," he said. (rin)
