Will Bali Allow Skyscrapers?
Bali’s traditionally low-rise landscape may change as TRAP proposes allowing buildings up to 45 metre.
One of the things that makes Bali unique is its tree-lined streets filled with rice fields, endless temples and low-rise villas. However, this may be set to change in the near future, after TRAP (an acronym given to the Special Committee on Spatial Planning, Assets and Licensing) submitted a formal recommendation to Governor Wayan Koster on April the 6th. The proposal suggested that buildings of up to 45 metres should be allowed in permitted zones, breaking away from Bali's unwritten rule that nothing should rise above a coconut palm.
Currently, no law has been passed or approved. However, it has sparked a significant planning debate, as the requirements officially allow buildings to reach only 15 metres. If the recommendation goes ahead and becomes law, buildings would effectively be able to soar to three times the current requirement.
Why Has Bali Always Built Low?
The current height limit is rooted in the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, the concept of harmony between people, nature and the divine. The rule is found in Perda No. 2/2023 (Article 100), Bali's current spatial planning law covering 2023 to 2043, and states that buildings shouldn’t rival the height of sacred temples. Furthermore, the legislation cites aviation safety, community comfort and the preservation of Bali's unique landscape as the basis for the limit.
What’s the Proposal?
However, even if the TRAP recommendation is passed as law, it doesn’t mean that skyscrapers would be permitted all over the island. Instead, the committee is proposing what it calls ‘differential height zoning,’ allowing taller buildings only in a handful of zones that are already heavily commercialized.
These would include:
Nusa Dua
Bukit Peninsula and South Kuta
Sanur
Coastal Tabanan, including the Tanah Lot corridor
Coastal Gianyar, including Keramas
Furthermore, to respect temples and religious buildings, any tall buildings would still need to be constructed a certain distance away.
The proposal would only allow taller buildings in specific zoned areas, not across the entire island.
The TRAP committee is headed by I Made Supartha, who states that this wouldn’t be a development free-for-all, but instead a measure against corruption. Despite this law being in place, the rules are sometimes circumvented illegally.
According to the committee, having a new law that formalizes taller limits could reduce illegal workarounds and give authorities clear boundaries to work with. In the same report, TRAP also suggested there should be a limited moratorium on granting building permits in highly populated areas such as Badung and Ubud, which can be said to have reached their environmental capacity. So while on the one hand, the report proposes taller buildings in certain areas, it is also focused on maintaining a sustainable approach to development in Bali.
What Does the Governor Think?
It's important to note that this proposal is coming from Bali's parliament (DPRD), and not from the Governor, Wayan Koster.
Koster has been focusing on making changes to building and land regulations, but in other areas. In February 2026, the Governor signed Perda No. 4/2026, a regulation focused on curbing productive land conversion and nominee property ownership, with criminal penalties for violations.
The Governor has been focusing on other regulations, including land use and property ownership.
On top of this, following Bali's worst floods in a decade in September 2025, six regencies agreed to stop issuing permits for new hotels and restaurants from 2026. However, some of Bali's most popular areas, including Canggu, Uluwatu, Seminyak, Kuta and Ubud, fall under Badung and Gianyar, which are not part of the agreement. The TRAP recommendation now sits on the Governor's desk, and what he will do with it remains to be seen.
Reception to the Proposal
The proposal has not been received with open arms. On the 8th of April, 2026, I Nyoman Kenak, chairman of PHDI Bali - the highest Hindu council in Bali -urged caution. He noted that jumping from 15 to 45 metres is significant and should not be rushed, requiring proper environmental, cultural and spatial planning research before any irreversible decisions are made.
On the 14th of April, Golkar's parliamentary faction went further, formally calling for a complete moratorium on new hotels and villas in South Bali instead, citing over-supply of accommodation, worsening traffic and mounting environmental strain. The faction also explicitly rejected the 45-metre zoning proposal, arguing it would worsen development inequality between South Bali and other regions of the island.
Bali’s waste management system is already under pressure, raising environmental concerns.
This is happening against the background of Bali's waste infrastructure being under serious strain. On the 1st of April, the island's largest landfill, TPA Suwung, stopped accepting organic waste ahead of what was supposed to be a full closure in August. After days of demonstrations, trash burning and river dumping, the landfill was forced to reopen on April 17th, accepting organic waste again on a limited basis twice a week. Bali already generates approximately 1.2 million tonnes of waste per year. More density means more pressure on a system that is already past capacity, although this connection hasn't been publicly addressed as of yet.
The Situation Right Now
As of April 2026, the 45-metre proposal is a parliamentary recommendation under review, not a passed regulation. What is clear is that this debate reflects a tension Bali has been unable to resolve for years: how to manage the economic pressures of rapid growth while protecting the cultural and environmental fabric that makes the island worth coming to. The 15-metre rule has been quietly broken for decades, so it's a question of whether Bali will formalize a new standard, or double down on enforcing the one it already has.
Need Help?
If you own a property or run a business in Bali, it’s worth keeping an eye on these developments. If the law is passed, it could shape the property landscape in Bali, affecting views, valuations, tourism and the types of accommodation people purchase or rent. If you have more questions about business regulations in Bali, feel free to reach out to us. We are Bali Solve, a business consulting and visa agency based in Pererenan, Bali, that makes it our mission to stay up-to-date with regulation changes on the island so we can serve you best. You can schedule a consultation via WhatsApp or visit our office to speak to one of our knowledgeable team members, and together, we’ll make sure your business is ready for whatever is to come next.
Written by Bali Solve Team
29 April 2026
