What happened in Jatiluwih
On 2 November 2026 the joint enforcement team of the Tabanan regency government (Tim Gabungan Yustisi) closed down construction of a two-storey restaurant inside the green belt around the Jatiluwih tourist attraction in Penebel district, Bali. The permanent building belongs to a local resident, I Wayan Subadra. Authorities say it violates spatial planning rules.
The operation involved Satpol PP (the municipal public order police), Tabanan police, the Kodim 1619 military command, village guards of the Gunung Sari customary community, and local community leaders. Work was stopped on site.
Three breaches, according to officials
Tabanan Satpol PP chief I Putu Hendra Manik Astawa set out the grounds. The project conflicts with the regional regulation on the spatial plan (Perda RTRW). The owner has no ITR, the spatial information recommendation issued before construction starts. Officials also say the build ignored a moratorium confirmed by the parliamentary special committee on spatial planning, assets and permits (Pansus TRAP).
He also pointed to materials. The structure is made of steel and fixed in place permanently. In his words, buildings like this can no longer be tolerated in a green belt. He said the owner did not respond to several written warnings. If the owner keeps ignoring the rules, criminal and civil sanctions may follow.
What the village and adat say
Jatiluwih village head I Nengah Kartika said the village, together with the Gunung Sari customary community, asked the owner two or three times to stop. The village also held information sessions on following building rules. He noted that Jatiluwih is protected under spatial planning and is important to Tabanan tourism.
Customary community head I Ketut Widadi said the community checked whether investors or foreign capital were involved. According to the owner, the project is self-funded. Widadi stressed that any investor must report to the adat beforehand, explaining the type of cooperation and the building. Under customary rules, tourist accommodation can be built if at least 80% of materials are wood or natural, and workers are local. The restaurant, known as Warung Wayan, has no recommendation from the adat.
Context: a business since 2010 and limits to leniency
Tabanan said it had left room for the owner to earn a living. Officials noted that the owner has run a tourism accommodation business since 2010. But the Satpol PP chief said this flexibility does not mean anyone may build outside the rules. He tied the issue directly to permanent materials in a green belt.
A green belt (jalur hijau) is land where development is restricted to protect farmland and landscape. For Jatiluwih this matters a great deal, since the scenery is what draws visitors. That is why several levels weigh in on construction here: the regency, the village and the customary community.
What this means for owners and buyers
The case shows that spatial plan compliance on Bali is checked on the ground, not only on paper. An existing business does not shield a new building. Three things matter together: conformity with the RTRW, the ITR, and the adat recommendation where it applies.
The source gives no timeline for further decisions and no sanction amounts. Only the work stoppage and the cited breaches are confirmed. For anyone buying land or a finished property in rural Tabanan, this is a reason to check the plot status early.