Regulation Watch · Property and Construction · Province of Bali
Bali Coastal Projects Must Preserve Beach Access and Local Use
Bali Regulation 3/2026 protects customary, social, and local-economic use of beaches and coastal setbacks, with sanctions extending to permit cancellation, demolition, and restoration of spatial function.
- Published
- Promulgated 24 February 2026 after enactment on 24 February 2026
- Effective
- 24 February 2026
- Updated
- 9 September 2026
Who is affected
Coastal landowners and tenants, hotels, resorts, villas, beach clubs, restaurants, PT PMA companies, property developers, tourism operators, investors, contractors, and managers of areas containing or adjoining beaches and coastal setbacks throughout Bali.
Practical impact
Coastal projects must preserve routes and places used for customary and spiritual ceremonies, public social access, and the traditional economic activities of local and customary communities and Bendega fishing groups. The rule applies even where a beach lies within an area managed by a particular operator. Compliance must also follow the provincial RTRW, regency or city RTRW, and applicable RDTR; the Perda does not create a substitute islandwide setback measurement or replace KKPR, environmental, PBG, or SLF requirements.
Late discovery: Bali Regulation 3/2026 was enacted, promulgated, and made effective on 24 February 2026. It remains actionable for every active coastal acquisition, lease, design, permit, and operation because the protected access and use obligations apply now and can be enforced against both individuals and business entities.
The Perda protects access to and across beaches and coastal setbacks for customary ceremonies and spiritual activities, together with the places and supporting facilities used for those activities. It also protects open and non-discriminatory social use and traditional local economic use, including fishing and the activities of customary communities, local communities, Bendega groups, and local businesses.
The prohibitions matter for privately managed tourism sites. Operators may not close or limit protected ceremonial routes, public social space, or local economic access; turn social space into an unauthorised exclusive area; interfere with ceremonies; or exploit coastal resources in a way that reduces protected local economic functions. The rule expressly continues to apply where the location is under the control of a particular area manager.
This is an access-and-function protection regime, not a new universal numeric setback. Each site's precise development envelope still depends on the provincial and local spatial plans, the applicable RDTR, coastal-setback delineation, sacred-place constraints, environmental approvals, and building approvals. A project should resolve those layers and its continuing access design before treating a coastal parcel as developable.
Required action
- For every coastal parcel, map the legal coastal setback, public and customary access routes, ceremonial places, sacred-place buffers, social-use areas, fishing access, and traditional local-economy space before acquisition, lease, design, or financing.
- Check the parcel and proposed use against the Bali RTRW, the relevant regency or city RTRW, and the applicable RDTR, then carry the verified constraints through KKPR, environmental approval, PBG, and SLF work.
- Audit existing fences, gates, walls, decks, landscaping, security procedures, events, and operating rules for anything that closes, restricts, discriminates against, or materially obstructs protected access and use.
- Engage the competent local government, Desa Adat, Bendega, and other affected local users early enough to document routes, ceremony requirements, and operational arrangements before construction or an exclusive-use commitment.
- Monitor the Governor Regulation and local implementation measures governing supervision and sanction procedures, and retain evidence that the site continues to provide the required access.