Why Bali’s Kelingking Glass-Lift Dispute Is Still Unsettled

Denpasar — A court fight over the glass-lift project at Kelingking Beach has moved into an appeal, leaving the project’s administrative status unresolved even after an investor won at the first-instance court.

Bali’s provincial government, acting through the Public Order Agency, has challenged the Denpasar Administrative Court ruling. The court’s official case register identifies the dispute as case No. 17/G/2026/PTUN.DPS and lists its latest stage as “Pengiriman Berkas Banding,” or transmission of the appeal file.

The plaintiff is PT Indonesia Kaishi Tourism Property Investment Development Group. The defendant is the head of Bali’s Public Order Agency, known as Satpol PP. The official register says the case was filed on April 9, 2026.

What the first ruling did

The dispute concerns an administrative action taken by Satpol PP against construction of the proposed glass lift at Kelingking Beach in Nusa Penida. Bali Post reported that the Denpasar Administrative Court issued its first-instance decision electronically on Sept. 3, 2026.

According to that report, the court cancelled the disputed administrative action and ordered the agency to withdraw its letter concerning the halt and dismantling of the lift structure. The provincial government then filed an appeal through its legal bureau.

An appeal does not amount to a final ruling in the government’s favor, and the first-instance judgment does not by itself prove that every permit needed for construction has been secured. The latest official entry records a procedural step: the appeal file is being transmitted for the next level of review.

What happens next

Bali Post said the appeal will be handled by the State Administrative High Court in Mataram. At this stage, the public record cited here does not show a high-court decision. It also does not announce a new opening date, visitor service or operating schedule for a glass lift.

That distinction matters because the dispute has drawn attention far beyond the courtroom. Kelingking Beach is one of Nusa Penida’s best-known coastal destinations, and debate over development there has combined questions about permits, enforcement, environmental management and the limits of tourism infrastructure at a sensitive site.

The appeal narrows the immediate legal question to whether the first-instance ruling should stand. Broader decisions about development at Kelingking still depend on the permits and government approvals that apply to the project, as well as any later court judgment.

What visitors can rely on now

Travellers should treat the appeal as a legal update, not as confirmation that the lift is operating or that access arrangements at Kelingking Beach have changed. Neither the official register nor the current report cited here gives visitors a timetable for construction or service.

For now, the clearest verified position is limited but important: Bali’s provincial government has appealed, the official case number remains 17/G/2026/PTUN.DPS, and the court register shows the appeal papers in transmission. Until a higher-court ruling or a new official project notice appears, the dispute remains open.

Sources

• Tribun Bali — Bali governor questions the Kelingking lift judgment
• NusaBali — Denpasar court grants investor suit over Kelingking lift