While it is already confirmed that the location permit to continue the Benoa Bay reclamation project from the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries expired on August 25 and the Governor-elect Wayan Koster has already rejected the continuation of the project, I Wayan “Gendo” Suardana from ForBali, one of the driving forces in protesting the reclamation project, told reporters yesterday that the Presidential Decree number 51 of 2014 was still valid.
Gendo said at a jubilant and almost victorious press conference yesterday that the group was very happy that the reclamation project had been scrapped, but also stated that the Presidential Decree also must be scrapped or a new decree issued returning Benoa Bay to a conservation area.
Gendo added that the Presidential Decree has now become their main focus after the victory against the reclamation developers and he advised officials and politicians who said that they didn’t agree with the reclamation plan and wanted to keep Benoa Bay as a conservation area to take note. He also said that the investor opportunity to develop Benoa Bay will be completely closed if the decree is canceled.
He explained to balipost.com that the Presidential Decree number 51 of 2014 is a limited or partial change of the Presidential Decree number 45 of 2011 in regard to Sarbagita (Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, Tabanan) Spatial Planning. This change is only in regard to Benoa Bay usage being changed from a conservation to cultivation area. “So it’s not related to other areas, especially other areas of Indonesia, which Balinese Governor-elect, Wayan Koster stated last Friday,” says Gendo.
Source&image: Seminyak Times
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