The role of religion in public policy: the case of height and distance limitation on tourism infrastructure building in regional regulation on spatial planning province of Bali

This study focuses on Bali Regional Regulations on Spatial Planning no. 16/2009 and the amendment no. 3/2020. The study starts by, first, analysing specific articles that stipulate the height limitation of tourism-related building, which cannot exceed 15 meters – the average height of coconut trees. It then discusses the arbitrary agreements between residents that control the distance between tourism related buildings to sacred temples and preserves. These regulations have set certain limitations that are perceived to be an important factor in protecting and maintaining the sustainability of the island from a massive expansion of the tourism industry. This study tries to understand the reason of the continued existence of this regulation by looking through the policy cycle lens that focuses on the policy maintenance, agenda setting, policy formulation, and legitimation steps in the policy making processes. It also identifies the stakeholders involved and their motivations, especially by looking at the role that religion plays in representing Balinese people’s way of life. Using qualitative inter-view methods and desk review, this research aims to discover the role of religion in the public policy making process. The study argues that religion plays an important role in upholding regulation articles about the distance and height limitations of tourism related buildings in Bali. Actors’ motivations are also influenced by this, despite opportunities for policy-making interventions by the Indonesian central government. The government maintains these regu-lations that limit the distance and height of tourism-related buildings mainly based on the notion that they are instrumental in preserving the island, despite Bali being a favourite tour-ism destination that is highly dependent on the tourism sector.