Indonesia’s Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has reaffirmed support for Bali’s plan to close its main landfill and reform waste management, as local opposition grows in Bangli Regency over proposals to relocate rubbish there.
In a statement issued in Jakarta on 30th December 2025, the minister confirmed that the Suwung Final Disposal Site, known as TPA Suwung, is scheduled to close on 1st March 2026. He said the move is intended to protect Bali’s environmental sustainability and long term tourism competitiveness, warning that unresolved waste problems have left the island highly vulnerable.
“Waste management is not merely an environmental issue but a serious public health challenge. I urge all regional leaders to have the courage to make strategic decisions and demonstrate strong commitment to end open dumping practices, as mandated by law,” he said.
“The closure of TPA Suwung marks a turning point for Bali to prove that a world class tourism destination must be matched by equally high standards of environmental management,” he added.
At a coordination meeting held at the Bali Governor’s Office in Denpasar on 29 December 2025, Nurofiq instructed officials to accelerate preparations at the Landih Final Disposal Site in Bangli as a temporary destination for residual waste from Denpasar and Badung. This arrangement is intended to operate until the Bali Waste to Energy project is completed.
The minister stressed that only residual waste may be transported to Landih and that primary waste management must be handled at source through cooperation between communities, area managers, and business operators. He also warned that waste sorting and independent management are legal obligations, not optional measures.
According to Nurofiq, these steps are necessary to lift Bali from its current waste emergency status and to avoid the province being labelled a “dirty city” under Indonesia’s Adipura environmental assessment programme. He also cautioned that development at Landih must be supported by robust construction and upgraded facilities to prevent future environmental harm.
Despite government backing, the relocation plan has prompted strong resistance in Bangli Regency. The Provincial Government of Bali has confirmed that population centres in South Bali will transport their waste to Bangli, a decision critics say was taken without consultation with local residents or authorities.
Local outlet Radarbali estimates that relocating waste from South Denpasar to Landih would require 190 dump trucks travelling a one way distance of 58 kilometres, with each journey taking approximately two hours. Reports across local media and social platforms indicate growing public anger over the plan.
Regional parliamentarian Made Joko Arnawa said he was deeply concerned about the social and environmental consequences of the proposal. Quoted on Friday 26 December 2025, he warned that opposition would intensify and that residents may physically block trucks entering Bangli.
Arnawa also criticised the lack of dialogue with local representatives, saying he had not been consulted by the Bangli Regent despite representing the regency in the Bali Regional Parliament. He rejected claims that the legislature had approved the plan, stating that comments made by DPRD Bangli chairman Ketut Suastika reflected a personal view rather than a formal consensus.
“The chairman of the DPRD Bangli has expressed his personal opinion and not spoken on behalf of the DPRD. In other words, as a member of the legislature and based on the public’s aspirations, I reject the plan,” Arnawa said.
He further argued that disposing of waste in Bangli violates both environmental law and Bali Hindu spiritual principles, describing the area as sacred and unsuitable for landfill use. Arnawa also questioned why Bangli continues to bear what he described as the province’s most stigmatised infrastructure.
“Why does Bangli only get the worst? They’re already the insane, junkies in a drug prison, and now they’re giving us the Island’s trash,” he said.
With a population of around 255,000, calls are growing for greater transparency from the Bangli Regent regarding waste policy decisions.
The dispute comes as Bali continues to struggle with seasonal plastic waste washing onto its beaches during the rainy season. Coastal areas including Pantai Jerman, Jimbaran, and Kedonganan have reported heavy accumulations of plastic debris and driftwood since late November.
Local authorities, supported by volunteers and community groups, are conducting regular clean ups, while the Ministry of Environment and Forestry continues to promote reductions in single use plastics. Tourists are being encouraged to check beach conditions, limit plastic use, and participate in clean up efforts as Bali attempts to balance environmental reform with the demands of a tourism dependent economy.
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