Plots in the mangroves
Pansus TRAP, the Bali parliament's committee on spatial planning, assets and licensing, found 106 certified parcels overlapping Tahura Ngurah Rai. This is the protected mangrove forest park between Denpasar, Sanur and Nusa Dua.
Of these, 71 are in Badung and 35 in Denpasar. The head of BPN Bali, the land agency office, said plainly that certificates for individuals or companies cannot be issued in conservation areas.
Tahura sits next to the airport and the Bali Mandara toll road, so land along its edges has long attracted builders. The forest's protected status has not changed.
How it happened
According to the committee, the land was converted around 2023 during a revision of the spatial plan. Customary land was reassigned and certified to Balinese residents.
On paper the titles look valid, yet they damage the ecosystem. Committee member Gek Diah said the findings will feed into formal legal recommendations.
Rivers squeezed by buildings
The committee also found structures blocking waterways. In Tohpati, walls narrow the river and raise flood risk. Similar violations were found in Kertalangu and near Mall Bali Galeria.
Legislators say a lasting fix requires reforming spatial planning so that construction stays out of protected areas.
Such narrowing of channels in the city makes heavy rain more damaging, especially in low-lying areas near rivers.
What happens to the plots
The situation is complicated because the titles went to residents and are administratively valid. Revisiting them requires legal procedures.
The committee intends to use its findings to support recommendations for enforcement. The report does not say what will happen to the holders of the 106 plots.