Bappedal wants Bira golf course project suspended

Bappedal wants Bira golf course project suspended

JAKARTA (JP): The Environmental Impact Management Board
(Bappedal) said the controversial development of a nine-hole golf
course on Big Bira Island in the Seribu Islands should be
suspended because its construction shows total disregard for the
environment.

"I regret that the city administration had not taken proper
measures to stop the construction of the project (from the
beginning)," said P.L. Coutrier, the deputy head of the Bappedal.

The project reportedly lacked a feasibility study or an
environmental impact analysis (AMDAL), a mandatory assessment to
ensure that any development will not produce unwanted
repercussions for the surrounding environment.

"I urged the city administration to stop the developer from
undertaking environmentally-dangerous changes to the island. I
also asked the city to make the developer return the island to
its natural condition," Coutrier said on Wednesday.

Bappedal, said Coutrier, will closely monitor the steps taken
by the city administration to resolve the problem, although he
admitted that the board had no authority to intervene in the
case.

In a related development, Minister of Environment Sarwono
Kusumaatmadja, who is also chairman of Bappedal, said that he had
given an order to his staff to give their input on how to tackle
the problem to the municipal administration.

"Pending the settlement of the matter I urged that the public
not to play golf there," Sarwono said.

The development of a nine-hole golf course on the 30-hectare
Bira Island sparked protests from the Indonesian Forum for
Environment (Walhi) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),
who claimed that the construction of the project lacked an
environmental impact analysis. They also said that it would cause
damage to the surrounding coral reefs which, in turn, could
disrupt the marine life the reefs there.

Walhi added that one of the most detrimental things being done
to the island, aside from the almost complete annihilation of the
island's forestry, was the excavation of sand and gravel from the
sea.

Coutrier also pointed out that the cutting of mangroves and
other beach vegetation, the use of pesticides and fertilizers and
the use of ground water to water the grass were actions which
could cause severe damage to the island, the sea water and the
marine life living on it.

"All these things may or may not happen. But we cannot predict
the actual impact of the project because AMDAL has not been
carried out yet...we are only worried about the future of the
island," Coutrier said.

Support

City councilors have thrown their weight behind Walhi and WWF
in their concern over the possible environmental impact of the
gold course development.

The city administration, the councilors said, should have
checked whether the developer had a feasibility study done on the
project's environmental impact and whether the results were
satisfactory before it was allowed to develop the project.

The development of the project, located adjacent to the Pulau
Seribu Marine Life Reserve, began last year and is now reaching
its final stages.

The golf course, developed by PT Pulau Seribu Paradise, was
built on a 20 hectare plot of land, four sixths of the total size
of the island.

A Gubernatorial Letter signed by Deputy Governor for Economic
and Development Tb. M. Rais on May 26, a copy of which was
obtained by Walhi, stated that a feasibility study on the
environmental impacts of the project was in process. This
statement was later confirmed by the City Environmental Impact
Management Board (Bappedal DKI). (pwn/has)