A divisive glass lift being built on a stunning Bali cliff will be demolished after multiple reports of building violations.

Work on the 182-metre lift at Kelingking Beach on Nusa Penida, a small island about 25 kilometres off Bali, halted about a month ago amid an escalating backlash at the construction, and concerns about permit violations.

It followed videos of the unfolding “glass elevator project” going viral on social media, sparking an outcry and complaints the local paradise was being “ruined” by an ugly structure.

Kelingking is one of Bali’s most stunning and untouched beaches. It is nick-named T-Rex Bay because unique rock formations that look like the backbone of a dinosaur.

It has been listed as one of the top 10 beaches in the world by TripAdvisor and was named among the platform’s 50 most beautiful beaches in the world in 2024

Tourists flock to Kelingking to enjoy its panoramic views, which are popular with the Instagram crowd.

The lift was intended to make it easier for people to reach the powdery beach at the base of Kelingking, which presently involves a steep hiking descend and tiring climb.

Amid the outcry over a project that local media said had was worth $200 billion rupiah ($A18.5 million), Bali authorities suspended the project due to concerns about permits and licences, as well as its environmental impacts.

This week, The Bali Sun reported that the holiday resort island’s governor, Wayan Koster, had ordered the Indonesian construction company building the lift project to pull it down.

“[I am] ordering PT Indonesia Kaishi Tourism Property Investment Development Group to stop all construction activities of the Glass Viewing Platform, carry out the demolition independently within a maximum of six months, and carry out the restoration of the function of the space after the demolition within a maximum of three months,” he reportedly told journalists last Sunday.

The outlet reported that concerns about the project had been investigated “in layers” because different Indonesian authorities were responsible for different elements of it. At the end, five clear violations were found, allowing the Bali Provincial Government to close down the project.

“The foundations of the bridge and the glass viewing platform are located in coastal and coastal areas, did not receive a recommendation from the Governor of Bali, and did not obtain a permit for the Utilisation of Conformity of Marine Spatial Utilisation Activities from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries,” Koster said.

The work was also found to have breached environmental, licensing, coastal area management and – importantly – tourism regulations.

The Bali Sun said the latter meant the island’s provincial government and the construction company “must now be held to account for restoring Kelingking Beach to its former glory”.

The view from the Kelingking clifftop obstructed by the construction. Photo: Supplied

Reaction on social media was swift – and generally supportive.

“Should never have been allowed to happen in such a beautiful, natural place,” wrote one user.

“THANK God, was such an eyesore,” said another.

A third said: “Best news I’ve heard to date. I can’t believe it got as far as it did. Hopefully it is left the way it was before it started.”

“Totally agree! Take it down! Fix the path. If Bali ruins their natural beauty the tourists will stop coming,” wrote a fourth.