Over-development in Bali threatens to kill the Golden Goose

This article - Rubbish tsunami swamps Bali beach front - in The Age on January 25, 2014 prompted this post.

The irony of this situation is the rubbish generated servicing tourists is coming back to bite them, turning their tropical playground into a rubbish dump. Unfortunately, most tourists are blissfully unaware that the rubbish is dumped in waterways in places where they rarely go … or see. The annual monsoon rains flush the waterways into the sea; the tide and wind do the rest, delivering the rubbish back to the very beach where some of it was produced.

This situation highlights the slow pace of much needed infrastructure to keep up with tourist development on the island. Some rapacious land developers gain approval for new hotels and restaurants by greasing the right palms. Planning rules – if they exist – are often flouted, or just plain ignored. This goes to the old hoary chestnut of short-term gain winning over long-term vision. Selfishness beats sagacity.

There are environmental groups pointing out the problems with Bali’s current growth spurt; that unless it is slowed to allow infrastructure to catch up, the problem will continue to grow exponentially to the point where the tourists may stop coming. Tourists may find the next best place to holiday and spend their hard earned – moving on, and leaving the Balinese to wonder how it all went wrong. The green group’s voices struggle to be heard over the deafening clatter of the jackhammer and beep-beep-beep of reversing cement trucks.

Although numbers of tourists arriving continue to grow every year, they are not completely to blame. Bali’s own population is on the rise - climbing by 20% in the last decade. This adds pressure to an ailing electricity grid - which draws all of its power from the neighbouring island of Java - and the water supply network. Ironically, Bali is blessed with abundant rainfall, and has one of the oldest and most sophisticated distribution systems designed to ensure all rice farmers get a fair share of the available water.

Tourists, and especially Australians who make up the vast majority go to Bali for various reasons; sun, surf, sand, and sex is the usual image of Aussie tourists, but many eschew the tourist strip of Kuta-Legian-Seminyak with its knock-off DVD stores and happy-hour sports bars for quieter pleasures. They head inland to savour the arts and crafts, or to unwind at a yoga retreat or spa. Others with a more adventurous bent head to the mountains for trekking, mountain biking, white-water rafting, or canyoning. Yet others head to the coastal towns and villages for snorkelling and SCUBA diving. Whatever they come for, one thing is for sure, they come because it is cheap.

In 2013, the Governor of Bali proposed all foreign tourists “make a US$10 donation which would be used to finance cultural heritage and environmental efforts across the island.” Effectively this is a tax - a good tax. Tight Arse Travel supports this measure, as it would ensure every foreign tourist contributes directly to the cultural and environmental upkeep of the island from which his or her pleasure is derived. We would go further and suggest that arriving travellers are made aware of the effect of tourism. They should also be made aware of how the tax is being used to support and enhance the culture and environment of the island.