Bali SEZ develops plant nursery to support green tourism

Denpasar (ANTARA) – Kura Kura Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Denpasar, Bali, is developing a plant nursery to support green and sustainable tourism on the Island of the Gods.

“We are caring for 83 plant species,” said Zefri Alfaruqy, head of communications at Kura Kura SEZ, in Denpasar on Tuesday.

He said the 83 species comprise 57 types of shrubs and 26 types of trees, with nearly 26,000 plants in total.

At present, 14,700 plants are at the seedling stage, 10,750 are in the transplanting stage and 521 are ready to be planted.

Shrubs make up the largest share because they are widely used to support vegetation structures, provide ground cover and enhance the area’s appearance. They include kenyeri (Nerium oleander), selada laut (Scaevola taccada) and cendrawasih (Phyllanthus myrtifolius).

The tree collection, meanwhile, is being prepared to help establish a canopy and provide long-term vegetation structure across the area.

Zefri added that the nursery is also cultivating native tropical and coastal plants, including widuri (Calotropis gigantea), jepun or kamboja (Plumeria pudica), jempiring (Gardenia jasminoides) and andong (Cordyline fruticosa).

The plants are cared for by workers, most of whom live near Kura Kura SEZ in Serangan village, Denpasar.

An organic waste facility has also been established near the nursery. Fallen leaves are collected and processed into compost, which is used to fertilise plants in the area.

He said the 240,379-square-metre area is currently planted with 737,441 trees and shrubs, up sharply from 177,000 in 2023.

“Going forward, these initiatives and facilities will continue to be developed in line with the area’s growth and landscaping needs,” said a representative of Bali Turtle Island Development (BTID), the company managing Kura Kura Bali SEZ.