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Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Search Search: Villa construction frenzy paving Bali paradise AFP - Sunday, April 12 CANGGU, Indonesia (AFP) - - Villas are part of the latest building boom on the famous Indonesian holiday island of Bali, where homes for wealthy holidaymakers and expatriates are mushrooming across the bottle-green landscape. ADVERTISEMENT Some see the growth of the villas as a boon. Others such as Sukadana, who toils not far from a beach favoured by expats, see a threat to a way of life that stretches back hundreds of years. Snatching a quick rest from a day of back-breaking work, Balinese rice farmer I Gusti Made Sukadana contemplates the grey-walled villas crowding the edges of his paddy field. "Farmers are working harder now but we're earning less. Our major problem is a lack of water," said the weather-beaten 44-year-old. "Concrete buildings are everywhere, blocking irrigation. When it rains, the water flows to the beach instead of being absorbed through the soil," he said. "I think mine will be the last generation in Bali working the rice fields." While Bali is no stranger to hotels, at both the high and low end of the market, the fad for villas -- many with open-plan design and swimming pools in huge gardens -- is relatively new. Developers say they are seeing very little impact from the global economic woes. Land sales and construction of luxury villas have increased 30 percent every year since 2003, mainly due to demand from well-off Western Europeans and Asians, said Hera Heronika of construction company Bali Property. "They usually come here during winter and rent out their villas for high prices when they are away," Heronika said. The trend is driven by foreigners moving towards quieter parts of the island to be close to nature -- and Bali's unique Hindu village culture -- and away from well-worn tourist traps such as southern Bali's storied Kuta beach. "They like the rice fields and a view of the beach. Even with the global economic crisis, we continue to receive a lot of requests," said Bali Villa Rentals Association board member Dharma Putra. Rent for a top-end villa complete with swimming pool, maid service, gym and private cook can vary from 500 dollars a night to as much as 2,500, he said. But activists said the villa fad comes with other costs to the island. Around 600 to 1,000 hectares (up to 2,471 acres) of "green space" disappears beneath concrete in readiness for villa construction every year, especially those areas surrounding the tourist centre hub on the island's south, said Friends of the Earth Indonesia campaigner Agung Wardana. The trigger for the explosive growth of the villas was national political reforms passed in the last decade that gave more power to local and provincial governments, allowing the spread of large-scale tourist developments in previously restricted areas, Wardana said. "It's like a cancer that spread out very quickly," he said. The main environmental problem is one of water. More buildings mean less land to absorb floodwater, leading to the inundation of low-lying areas. Meanwhile, increasing water use by swimming pools and paved-over land disrupt the intricate irrigation system that waters the famous rice terraces that spread from Bali's volcanic interior to the seaside. "Bali is a small island. If this villa development continues, it's not impossible that in 15 years Bali will be abandoned by tourists," Wardana said. Adding to the squeeze is the fact that the demand for villas is pushing up property prices and with them, land taxes, he said. This leaves farmers with ever-decreasing incomes. In some parts of Badung district, where Sukadana farms, the land tax has doubled annually in recent years, Wardana said. But Chandra Kirana, the owner of Bali Property, said farmers too can share in the boom. "As demand increases, the price of land goes up and local people benefit. They can sell their land at a high price and buy cheap land somewhere else," he said. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article 0 users recommend Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: Indonesia New orangutan population found in IndonesiaAP - 2 hours 29 minutes ago Villa construction frenzy paving Bali paradiseAFP - Sunday, April 12 Hundreds of irregularities in Indonesia voteAFP - Sunday, April 12 Indonesia president's party leads voteReuters - Friday, April 10 Related Articles: Asia Pacific Fiji faces international backlash over upheavalAFP - 1 hour 3 minutes ago Thai summit protest leader arrested: policeAFP - 1 hour 12 minutes ago Major powers agree new NKorea sanctions textAFP - 1 hour 20 minutes ago Protests can't stop the party at Thai beach resortAFP - 1 hour 48 minutes ago Malaysia police hit by new claim of suspect abuseAP - 1 hour 56 minutes ago Enlarge Photo Villa construction frenzy paving Bali paradise Related Full Coverage Suharto Former Indonesian president All Full Coverage Most Popular – Asia Pacific Viewed UN sounds warning after Antarctica ice shelf rips Pirate hostage siege, Italian tug grabbed Bad mood, better recall, researchers find Harry Potter actor arrested over cannabis find Selective abortion causes 32mln excess China males View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! 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