Court backs Kelingking Beach elevator investor in Bali dispute

Denpasar — — The Bali provincial government has lost an administrative court case over the controversial glass elevator project at Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida, with judges at the Denpasar State Administrative Court ruling in favour of the project’s investor.

According to local media reports, the court granted the lawsuit filed by PT Indonesia Kaishi Tourism Property Investment Development Group against the Head of the Bali Provincial Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) in Case No. 17/G/2026/PTUN.DPS. The dispute centred on an administrative letter ordering suspension and dismantling of the glass lift construction at the cliffside above Kelingking Beach.

The panel of judges at PTUN Denpasar annulled the contested Satpol PP letter and ordered the authority to withdraw it. The court also required the provincial government, as the defendant, to pay court costs of approximately IDR 11.988 million.

Details of the ruling

Reports from Bali-based outlets state that the decision was delivered electronically through the court’s e-Court system on Thursday, 3 September 2026. The ruling fully granted the investor’s claim, with the judges rejecting the defendant’s objections and declaring the administrative action by Satpol PP invalid.

The judgment does not serve as blanket approval for the entire glass lift development. Coverage of the case notes that the ruling addresses the legality of the provincial enforcement order, not the full set of permits and zoning requirements for the project. Several officials and commentators have stressed that the project’s broader regulatory and environmental compliance remains subject to separate processes.

Following the decision, Bali Governor Wayan Koster and provincial officials said they would file an appeal within the applicable timeframe. Statements carried by multiple local outlets describe the ruling as problematic and indicate that the administration intends to pursue further legal steps.

Implications for the Kelingking Beach elevator

The elevator project involves a planned glass lift of around 182 metres on the cliff face above Kelingking Beach, a well-known tourist viewpoint on Nusa Penida in Klungkung Regency. Construction activities had previously been ordered halted and parts of the structure dismantled under the Satpol PP letter that became the object of the lawsuit.

Analyses of the case emphasise that, despite the investor’s win in the administrative court, the project remains in legal and regulatory limbo. Under Indonesian administrative law, a lower-court decision that is under active appeal does not carry final legal force, meaning the investor cannot treat the ruling as an automatic green light to resume full construction.

Local coverage also notes that Bali’s Civil Service Police and a special committee of the provincial legislature on zoning and permits plan to continue examining the project’s compliance with planning, zoning and other legal prerequisites before any future construction decisions are made.

Political and regulatory response

Members of the Bali regional parliament have criticised the provincial government’s legal handling of the case, with a special committee on spatial planning and permits questioning whether the government’s legal team worked “all out” to defend the Satpol PP action. The committee has also called for closer scrutiny of large-scale tourism infrastructure in sensitive coastal areas such as Kelingking Beach.

For now, visitors to Nusa Penida continue to access Kelingking Beach via existing paths and stairs, as reports do not indicate that the court ruling has changed public access arrangements at the site. The future of the glass elevator remains contingent on the outcome of the provincial government’s appeal and on subsequent regulatory reviews.

Sources

• Bali Discovery
• Tribun Bali
• Bali Journal
• BaliPost
• NusaBali
• Detik Bali
• Bali Live
• Indonesia Expat