Two 18-hole golf courses face destruction
Two 18-hole golf courses face destruction
Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The existence of 31 golf courses in Greater Jakarta was
apparently one cause of the big floods last week.
Governor Sutiyoso announced on Thursday that his
administration had agreed to the demolition of two 18-hole golf
courses: Pantai Indah Kapuk in North Jakarta and Kemayoran in
Central Jakarta.
Under sharp criticism of his poor performance in preventing
the big floods and assisting the victims, Sutiyoso might
sacrifice both courses to prevent further flooding in the future.
The Pantai Indah Kapuk course will be converted into a water
holding area behind a dam to control flooding while the Kemayoran
course will become a forest.
His decision, if it is implemented, will cost a fortune for
luxury housing estates, which mostly provide golf courses to
attract customers.
In the early 1990s, the golf course development boom was
protested by farmers whose land was bought cheaply -- some only
received Rp 150 (7.3 US cents at 1993 exchange rates), per square
meter.
Courses located on hundreds of hectares of productive land and
along the Ciliwung river damage the quality of the environment
and pose a flooding threat to Jakartans.
Environmentalist Longgena Ginting, campaigns director of the
Indonesian Environment Forum (Walhi), criticized city people who
claimed they were friends of nature but in fact abused it.
"Most golf courses in Indonesia were developed following land
use conversion. They always changed the natural contours when
developing a golf course," he said.
The special treatment needed for "exotic" grass -- mostly
imported from Australia, Japan and America -- places a burden on
the surrounding environment.
"Spraying pesticides and fertilizers in such monoculture areas
can affect the soil structure. Besides, the imported grass
consumes more water than local grasses," Ginting said.
"There must be a special environmental evaluation carried out
on each golf course, especially on the water catchment beneath
the grass."
The Global Antigolf Movement says in its website, "the
environmental impacts include water depletion and toxic
contamination of the soil, underground water, surface water and
the air. This, in turn, leads to health problems for local
communities, populations downstream and even golfers, caddies and
people spraying chemicals on golf courses.
"The construction of golf courses in scenic natural sites,
such as forest areas and coral islands, also results in the
destruction of biodiversity."
But Chairman of the Indonesian Golf Course Management
Association (APLGI) Yuwono Kolopaking rejected all such
statements.
"The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America has
published a study that found that a course also serves as a lung
for its surrounding area, a dust pollution filter, absorbs
rainwater and prevents erosion."
"Golf course designers usually retain trees and bushes in the
rough to help the soil absorb water better."
Yuwono said that the development of a golf course always
required a permit following an environmental impact analysis.
"Each course is checked twice a year. Should it violate any
environmental regulations, the local environmental impact
management agency, which issues the permit, will demand that the
violation is rectified."
Unfortunately, the procedures might not always be properly
followed as there are many corrupt officials and crooked
businesspeople here.
Controversy on this issue will continue into the future. It is
most important to enforce the existing regulations on golf course
development.
Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The existence of 31 golf courses in Greater Jakarta was
apparently one cause of the big floods last week.
Governor Sutiyoso announced on Thursday that his
administration had agreed to the demolition of two 18-hole golf
courses: Pantai Indah Kapuk in North Jakarta and Kemayoran in
Central Jakarta.
Under sharp criticism of his poor performance in preventing
the big floods and assisting the victims, Sutiyoso might
sacrifice both courses to prevent further flooding in the future.
The Pantai Indah Kapuk course will be converted into a water
holding area behind a dam to control flooding while the Kemayoran
course will become a forest.
His decision, if it is implemented, will cost a fortune for
luxury housing estates, which mostly provide golf courses to
attract customers.
In the early 1990s, the golf course development boom was
protested by farmers whose land was bought cheaply -- some only
received Rp 150 (7.3 US cents at 1993 exchange rates), per square
meter.
Courses located on hundreds of hectares of productive land and
along the Ciliwung river damage the quality of the environment
and pose a flooding threat to Jakartans.
Environmentalist Longgena Ginting, campaigns director of the
Indonesian Environment Forum (Walhi), criticized city people who
claimed they were friends of nature but in fact abused it.
"Most golf courses in Indonesia were developed following land
use conversion. They always changed the natural contours when
developing a golf course," he said.
The special treatment needed for "exotic" grass -- mostly
imported from Australia, Japan and America -- places a burden on
the surrounding environment.
"Spraying pesticides and fertilizers in such monoculture areas
can affect the soil structure. Besides, the imported grass
consumes more water than local grasses," Ginting said.
"There must be a special environmental evaluation carried out
on each golf course, especially on the water catchment beneath
the grass."
The Global Antigolf Movement says in its website, "the
environmental impacts include water depletion and toxic
contamination of the soil, underground water, surface water and
the air. This, in turn, leads to health problems for local
communities, populations downstream and even golfers, caddies and
people spraying chemicals on golf courses.
"The construction of golf courses in scenic natural sites,
such as forest areas and coral islands, also results in the
destruction of biodiversity."
But Chairman of the Indonesian Golf Course Management
Association (APLGI) Yuwono Kolopaking rejected all such
statements.
"The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America has
published a study that found that a course also serves as a lung
for its surrounding area, a dust pollution filter, absorbs
rainwater and prevents erosion."
"Golf course designers usually retain trees and bushes in the
rough to help the soil absorb water better."
Yuwono said that the development of a golf course always
required a permit following an environmental impact analysis.
"Each course is checked twice a year. Should it violate any
environmental regulations, the local environmental impact
management agency, which issues the permit, will demand that the
violation is rectified."
Unfortunately, the procedures might not always be properly
followed as there are many corrupt officials and crooked
businesspeople here.
Controversy on this issue will continue into the future. It is
most important to enforce the existing regulations on golf course
development.