0 Rip Curl GromSearch 2014 to start soon

The Rip Curl GromSearch 2014 will bring competitive youth surfing to some of Indonesia’s best known surf spots. Through working in partnership with regional boarder communities, this year Rip Curl has settled for five qualifying events held all over Indonesia, including Senggigi Beach in Lombok, Lakey Peak in Sumbawa, Cimaja in West Java and Kuta Beach in Bali. 

Competitions at the five locations will decide four regional finalists, who will make the cut to get an all-expenses-paid-trip to compete in the national finals scheduled to take place on Sept. 27 and Sept. 28 at Lembongan Islet in Bali. The first event of the season is due to start early next month on March 9 at Senggigi Beach in Lombok Island. 

“The GromSearch has always been about getting kids together, competing in a fun and friendly environment and at the same time providing an introduction to professional surfing. It also gives kids the perfect reason to travel, meet and enjoy surfing with other Groms [grommets, young surfers] the same age from other parts of the county,” said James Hendy, Rip Curl Southeast Asia marketing manager.

source : bali daily

0 Taman Jepun: The soul of plumeria in Bali

The 2.3-hectare garden on Jl. Hayam Wuruk in Denpasar serves as an oasis in the crowded and hot city. More than 400 plumeria (frangipani) trees have been planted in the garden creating colorful and beautiful scenery. Only a few people notice the presence of Taman Jepun or the plumeria garden as it is located amid lines of shops selling various plants, flowers and gardening tools. 

Oka Dipa, owner of the garden and a landscape artist, said he developed Taman Jepun four years ago to preserve the almost extinct plumeria species. He planted around 140 varieties of the trees and most are around 3 to 10 meters tall. Among the planted varieties are — Anabar Pink, Aztec Gold, Aussie Pink, Bali Sweet, Purple (muang) Jack Thai, Violet Blue Jean (Thai Purple),  Singapore Sassy, Guam Pink and Agni. 

Dewa Susila, manager of the garden, said the garden was divided into two parts — preservation and commercial areas. The garden management offers visitors several outbound activities. The garden can be rented as a wedding or party venue. A café is also ready to serve visitors with delicious food and drinks. 

Admission to the garden for locals is Rp 8,000 (68 US cents) per person, while foreign visitors are required to pay Rp 30,000 per person. In Bali, plumeria or frangipani is locally known as bunga jepun and is widely used in ritual offerings, wedding decorations and as garden plants.

source : bali daily

0 Eviction in land dispute postponed following dialogue

The petitioner in a lawsuit over a disputed 94-are plot in Serangan subdistrict, Denpasar, has agreed to give another three months for the occupiers to leave the area before evicting them by force if necessary. The Denpasar Court had ruled that the site should be vacated by Thursday, but police — along with Bali Legislative Council members and local leaders — held talks with both parties to negotiate a postponement. 

The court had favored Maisarah — the petitioner — as she had proven to the judges of that she was the owner of the deeds to the land. The land is currently occupied by at least 36 Muslim families of Bugis ethnicity from South Sulawesi, hence its local name Kampung Bugis (Bugis village). Rizal Akbar Maya Putra, the lawyer who represented the residents, gave an assurance that every family would leave by the end of the third month, but that they would refuse compensation from the petitioner. 

“Residents have agreed to reject the Rp 50 million [US$4,285] compensation offered by the petitioner. We will keep fighting,” he told journalists on Thursday. During the three months, Rizal said his side would file for a case review to the Supreme Court and present new evidence. “We will file for a review as soon as possible. We have new evidence that the deeds the petitioner possesses relate to another plot of land,” he said. 

The 2009 Supreme Court Law stipulates that a case review is permitted if the losing party can present substantive new evidence. Pemecutan Palace heir, Ida Cokorda Pemecutan XI, who was involved in the mediation, called on the residents not to allow themselves to be provoked by irresponsible parties. “I have spoken with authorities and the parties to the dispute. I’m not taking any sides, I just want to avoid any trouble,” said the palace heir. 

Also involved the mediation was Denpasar Police chief Sr. Comr. Djoko Hariutomo, Denpasar Military Commander Col. Anton Nugroho and Bali Legislative Council deputy speaker Wayan Suandi. Denpasar Police spokesman Adj. Comr. IB Sarjana told Bali Daily that a joint team of 875 personnel had been deployed, comprising police officers, soldiers and Public Order Agency (Satpol PP). 

The team was on standby on Thursday to safeguard the planned execution. Several water cannon and bulldozers were also prepared at the location to demolish the houses. Djoko, who led the dialogue, acknowledged that the law must be enforced, but said the postponement gained by the mediation was a “win-win” solution achieved on the basis of humanitarian concerns. 

One of the demolition team members from Denpasar Court, I Nyoman Suardana, said he respected the decision to postpone the eviction. “We welcome the respondent’s decision to file a review. But we will enforce the ruling if nothing changes in three months.” The residents believe that the land was an inheritance dating back hundreds of years. They claimed that it was gifted by the Pemecutan Palace to Bugis sailors who came to trade on the island in the 1600s. 

However, the court ruled that Maisarah had produced evidence that the land had been sold to her as she possessed the title deeds despite the residents claim that their families had never sold the land to anyone.

source : bali daily

0 Company urged to clean up oil spill

The Wisnu Foundation has urged PT Indonesia Power to thoroughly clean remnants of oil from mangrove trees caused by a leak in a pipeline belonging to the company near Benoa Port in Denpasar and replace the mangroves that had died. The foundation, which is a Bali-based NGO working on environmental and resource management initiatives, was referring to dozens of liters of oil that leaked from the company’s pipeline earlier this month. 

Indonesia Power is a subsidiary of state electricity company PT PLN. The company has eight units that oversee its 127 power plants across the country, with Indonesia Power being its largest. The pipeline leaked marine fuel oil and high speed diesel used to generate electricity on the island and was predicted to have contaminated 2 hectares of mangrove forest and the surrounding waters. 

Foundation chairman Made Suarnatha said the company must take responsibility for the environmental damage it had caused. “Indonesia Power violated the law as well as its Amdal [environmental impact analysis], and could face prosecution,” he told Bali Daily over the phone on Wednesday. Suarnatha said the foundation would continue to monitor the location to see whether Indonesia Power took responsibility and cleaned the area. 

He said the foundation would take legal action if the area remained contaminated. “We have the right [to sue the firm], as does everybody else,” he said. “It has to clean up immediately because the environment may be further harmed.” The company revealed that the first leak appeared on Jan. 25. After repairs, however, there was a further leaked on Feb. 5. I Wayan Sukerena, Indonesia Power’s Bali environmental division head, said the leaking had been stopped and the pipeline was back in use. 

Sukerena said the leak was initially undetected due to its small size and its location under the bridge heading toward the Denpasar tollgate. As a follow up to the cleaning, Sukerena said the foundation would hold a large-scale greening program — involving company employees, organizations and locals — around the impacted area as well as other locations and plant more mangrove trees to replace those that had died due to the leak. 

Gusti Agung Ngurah Subawa Putra, Indonesia Power Bali general manager, said the company had worked with the Mangrove Care Forum (FPM) to rehabilitate the impacted area. Sukerena could not be reached for comment on the Wisnu Foundation’s stance. Despite the company’s pledge to clean up, Suarnatha, said: “It can say it cleaned up the area, but it’s difficult to remove remnants of oil unless done seriously and continuously.” 

He said he would wait to see whether Indonesia Power was committed to resolving the issue. Meanwhile, a member of Bali Legislative Council Commission III overseeing agriculture and tourism, Ida Bagus Parta, also expressed concern over the matter. “We demand that Indonesia Power take this environmental pollution matter seriously so as to prevent the oil from spreading and killing more mangroves,” he said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

source : bali daily

0 Pastika urged to avoid conflict in reclamation plan

In defense of residents’ rights, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) urged Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika to comply with its recommendations on the province’s plan to reclaim Benoa Bay. The commission in a letter stated that to control and prevent conflict the administration should ensure the situation in Benoa was under control. It called on the governor to study data, information and input from residents. 

The letter was released following the commission’s dialogue with locals in Benoa recently. “Locals must be invited to participate fully in the environment and tourism issues,” said commissioner Nur Kholis in the letter. Suriadi Darmoko, political division head for Citizens’ Forum Rejecting Reclamation (ForBALI), said the plan had been blighted by conflict. “Komnas HAM’s letter shows that this issue is prone to conflict, because the administration isn’t being transparent,” Suriadi said. 

ForBALI urged the governor to revoke his letter as permitted PT Tirta Wahana Bali International (TWBI) to develop in the Benoa Bay area as the project was unfeasible. Pastika, however, said that the letter only permitted TWBI to hold a feasibility study of the reclamation plan. ForBALI’s statement has the backing of Udayana University experts and Conservation International (CI), who conducted a modeling study in Benoa and concluded that the reclamation was not feasible. 

Their research showed that Benoa’s reclamation could result in seawater intrusion around the area. Benoa Bay is situated in Badung and Denpasar, the two richest areas in Bali. It is attractive to investors because of its marine life, mangrove forest and coral reef. Moreover, the province constructed the Bali Mandara toll road over it, thus making it a strategic investment point. A private investor was reportedly building an “Indonesian Disneyland” in Benoa; complete with golf course, real estate and mall. 

Several laws prohibit the exploitation of conservation sites, such as Presidential Regulation No. 45/2011 on the spatial planning of Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan, and the 2007 law on coastal area and small island management. The laws named Benoa Bay as a water conservation area. Meanwhile, Pastika said he had complied with Komnas HAM’s request. “As a matter of fact, the governor complied with all the demands before the idea was brought up,” administration spokesman I Ketut Teneng said on Wednesday. Teneng said Pastika had coordinated with local leaders and had involved citizens in the reclamation talks.

source : bali daily

0 Bali among ASEAN’s top destinations

Of all the beautiful destinations in Southeast Asia, Bali is among the most popular, according to survey data from the Bali Tourism office. Ida Bagus Kade Subhiksu, head of the Bali Tourism office, said that of the 3.2 million foreign visitors who came to the island in 2013, 70 percent were on vacation, while the rest came for business, conventions or exhibitions.   

In 2013, his office launched a survey involving 1,000 foreign visitors. The survey found that 41.1 percent of respondents said Bali was their top choice for a holiday destination in Southeast Asia. Around 20.9 percent picked Thailand; 15.4 percent chose Singapore; 7.2 percent Vietnam; 5.7 percent Malaysia; 3.3 percent Cambodia; and 2.9 percent the Philippines. 

In a related survey on meeting incentive convention and exhibition (MICE) destinations, Bali was the third most popular site, with 23.8 percent naming it their top choice, after Thailand (28.6 percent) and Singapore (33.3 percent). Recent large-scale infrastructure projects including the renovation and expansion of Ngurah Rai International Airport, toll roads and underpasses have eased crowds at the airport and traffic on main roads connecting tourist spots on the island. 

“But, at the time when we conducted the survey, those projects were still underway and often causing disruptions to visitors,” Subhiksu said. The survey also highlighted the positive and negative aspects of the island as a tourist destination. The majority of respondents considered Bali an island rich in culture and natural wonders with top-rated hotels, resorts, spas and shopping venues. 

The negative points related to airport services, immigration services, ongoing traffic jams and sanitation problems. “With the completion of the airport’s renovation and expansion, it is expected tourists will get better services,” said Subhiksu. Stephanie Gunawan, an analyst at Bank Indonesia (BI), shared the results of a 2012 survey by the central bank, which found that 93.71 percent of visitors who came to Bali in May 2012 were there for holidays. 

Bagus Sudibya, who has worked in tourism for years, said Bali still was strongly positioned as Indonesia’s main gateway. Around 35 percent of foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia entered via Ngurah Rai airport. Visitors only come to Jakarta for business and formal trips, he said. Meanwhile, Subhiksu said Bali continued to garner international attention, such as the award for “Island Destination of the Year,” given at the China Travel and Meeting Industry Awards 2013. 

Conde Nast Traveler had also named Ubud as the best city in Asia at its Reader’s Choice Awards. “Hotels and spas in Bali have also received prestigious awards on the international stage,” Subhiksu said.

source : bali daily

0 Ministries informed of airport, seaport closures for Nyepi

The provincial administration says it sent letters to four ministers regarding plans to close Ngurah Rai International Airport and all seaports on the island during the celebration of Nyepi (the Hindu Day of Silence). “[Bali] Governor [Made Mangku] Pastika sent the letter in advance so that related parties, both in the country and overseas, can be well informed,” Bali administration spokesman I Ketut Teneng told a press conference in Denpasar on Tuesday. 

Teneng was accompanied by Bali Transportation Agency air transportation division head Ida Bagus Puja Astawa. Teneng said the letter was backed by the Transportation Ministry’s director general for air transportation on Sept. 1, 1999 regarding the terms of operations of Ngurah Rai. According to Teneng, Pastika’s letter, dated Dec. 30, had been sent to Transportation Minister EE Mangindaan, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi and Communications and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring. 

The Transportation Ministry’s director generals for land, water and air transportation; the Bali Legislative Council speaker; all mayors and regents in the province; and the airport authority have also received knowledge of the plan, he said. Teneng hoped the ministries could help disseminate the information to all airlines, both domestic and international, so they would not schedule any flights to Ngurah Rai on that day. He said the airport management has also informed partner airlines of the plan. 

Teneng explained that all administration officials were obliged to follow the order, as well as private companies, NGOs, cultural organizations and all citizens. Nyepi, which marks the arrival of a new lunar year in the Saka calendar, will fall on March 31 this year. On the day, Balinese Hindus will observe the four abstinences known as catur brata penyepian, which comprise amati geni (abstaining from lighting any fire or light), amati karya (abstaining from work), amati lelungan (abstaining from traveling outside of one’s family compound) and amati lelanguan (abstaining from enjoying any entertainment and pleasurable activity). 

The four abstinences are designed to help Balinese Hindus enter a state of meditation, through which they can reflect upon their deeds throughout the previous year and cleanse their minds to face the challenges brought by the new year. During Nyepi, which will run from 6 a.m. on March 31 until 6 a.m. on April 1, power companies will turn off all street lights while television and radio stations will cease to broadcast. Only pecalang (traditional guardsmen) are allowed to patrol the streets. 

Emergency services will run as usual and hospitals, households with infants and the sick are exempted from having to turn off lights. Ferry ports will be closed and only transit flights are allowed to land at Ngurah Rai. The planned airport closure will be for the 16th time since it was first regulated in 1999.

source : bali daily

0 Bali ‘fulfilled’ Benoa Bay recommendations

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has said he complied with a request made by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in regard to the planned reclamation of Benoa Bay. Provincial administration spokesman I Ketut Teneng said on Wednesday that the commission had demanded the governor fulfill three points. 

“As a matter of fact, the governor was on the same page with Komnas HAM even before the reclamation idea came out,” he said. Komnas HAM had demanded that the administration keep the situation in Benoa under control to prevent conflict and to involve local residents in the reclamation plan discussions. 

It also called on the governor to study the data and information given by residents to ensure their rights were upheld. Teneng said Pastika was coordinating with local leaders to keep Bali secure and had also involved citizens in the reclamation talks and would take their input into account.

source : bali dialy

0 PLN to open 85,000 new connections this year

The Bali office of state electricity company PT PLN said it was ready to add at least 85,000 new installations this year after it saw rising demand last year. Around 22 percent of residents in Bali have no access to electricity. The office’s general manager, Syamsul Huda, said on Wednesday that his side installed more than 83,000 connections last year, a 9-percent increase from 2012, and was optimistic to meet the target this year. 

Syamsul said that it would be easier for customers to open a new electricity network this year and that PLN was becoming very open about providing information. He called on Balinese citizens to use this momentum to get whatever information they needed, including on the fees for installing electricity in their houses. “The call center number at 123 is the company’s main information source. Residents can ask about opening new connections, adding power and other things,” he said.

source : bali daily