The Land Bank Agency Conducts Outreach at Udayana University in Conjunction with the Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding

The Land Bank Agency, in collaboration with Udayana University, held an event titled “Land Smart Campus Series” on Thursday, September 11, 2025. The event took place in the Lecture Building Auditorium at Udayana University’s Jimbaran Campus and carried the theme "Optimizing Land Utilization for Sustainable Development."

The Land Bank Agency is a special institution tasked with ensuring the availability of land for public needs, socio-economic development, and equitable development distribution.

In attendance were the Head of the Land Bank Agency, the Head of the Regional Office of the National Land Agency (BPN) of Bali Province, the Rector of Udayana University, Vice Rectors, faculty leaders, and students from various faculties within Udayana University.

The event also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Udayana University and the Land Bank Agency. This was followed by a talk show featuring two speakers: Dr. Yudi Kristiana, SH., M.Hum, Head of the Legal Division of the Land Bank Agency, Dr. Jimmy Zeravianus Usfunan, SH., MH, Lecturer in Law at Udayana University, Moderated by Dr. Oce Madri, an Expert Staff Member of the Land Bank Agency.

In his remarks, the Rector of Udayana University, Prof. Ir. I Ketut Sudarsana, ST., Ph.D., stated that land is not only an economic asset but also a pillar of community welfare, infrastructure development, and environmental sustainability. In the context of Bali, land holds a much deeper meaning not just as a physical resource, but as living space, cultural identity, and social harmony. Therefore, its management must be wise, equitable, and sustainable.

Udayana University fully supports the Land Bank Agency’s initiative in organizing the Land Smart Campus Series. The forum serves as a strategic platform for the central and regional governments, academia, and society to engage in dialogue, share ideas, and build synergy.

"We believe that integration between national policies, regional development planning, and academic research will lead to land management that is not only economically efficient but also socially just and environmentally friendly," said the Rector.

The Rector also emphasized that as the oldest and largest university in Bali, Udayana University is committed to continuing its contribution through research, scientific studies, and human resource capacity-building. This aims to make land management in Bali a model of best practices for other regions in Indonesia. The cooperation between the Land Bank Agency and Udayana University will strengthen the role of higher education in supporting just land governance, while also opening opportunities for collaboration in education, research, and community service.

In his keynote speech, I Made Daging, A.Ptnh., MH, Head of the Bali Provincial Office of the National Land Agency (BPN), stated that land plays not only the role of living space but also serves as a source of welfare and justice for all. However, we face serious challenges regarding land demand land availability is limited while the need continues to increase.

To address these challenges, the government established a special institution the Land Bank Agency to ensure public access to land resources, especially considering the significant inequality in land ownership that still exists today. One of the key principles of our agrarian law is nationalism, and also that land is not a commodity or a tradable good, but a tool to help people achieve welfare.

In practice, land is often bought and sold as prices rise, which should not be the case. On one hand, those with capital can accumulate large amounts of land, while those with limited means struggle to access land even for basic housing. This presents a major challenge for the government, and the Land Bank Agency was created to help address it.

In Bali, the assets managed by the Land Bank Agency are still relatively small this remains a challenge going forward. The Land Bank is expected to provide land for various purposes, particularly infrastructure development, such as irrigation and road projects.

Parman Nataatmadja, Head of the Land Bank Agency, explained that the agency was established to complement the tasks and functions of the government in this case, the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) as the regulator and administrator of land affairs.

The Land Bank Agency facilitates access to land, especially for investors in need of HGU (Right to Cultivate), but it does not sell HPL (Land Management Rights). Its main role is to maintain land availability for various public interests, including national development and social needs.

For example, land for public facilities such as sports fields or green open spaces can be provided free of charge for social purposes. Moreover, at least 30% of the land managed by the Land Bank must be allocated for agrarian reform, to promote equitable land ownership also distributed for free, with a minimum usage period of 10 years.

For social purposes, a minimum of 10% must be allocated, and for government purposes, all land is provided free of charge.

He expressed hope that this event would spark productive discussions and encouraged students to ask questions and explore the topic of land banks as widely as possible.