Government officials, including Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, gathered last week at the Kortright Centre, located north of Vaughn, where it was announced that municipalities will now have a greater say in where the Greenbelt stretches.

The move represents a fundamental shift in policy as the Greenbelt, a 1.8-million-acre area of permanently protected environmentally sensitive land around the Greater Golden Horseshoe, had previously been the responsibility of the province.

Burton noted this change in provincial policy comes after many municipal councils, including Oakville's, passed resolutions calling for a greater voice in the expansion of the Greenbelt.

News that the province was listening was warmly received by Burton.

"Most people in Oakville really want the biggest and strongest protected green space they can have for their town," he said. "It's very exciting to be given the green light by the province to give people what they want."

Burton said Oakville would be taking advantage of the change.

"There are parts of Oakville's Natural Heritage System that border the Sixteen Mile Creek and look like very good candidates for being added," he said.

"This would be around 700 acres maybe. It's big in our context, but against the 1.8 million acres in the total Greenbelt, it's hard to measure. The percentage increase is very small, so while it might not be that big a deal to the overall Greenbelt, it will be significant for us."

Burton said there are six criteria that a municipality must satisfy to have their Greenbelt expansion request considered by the province.

First, council will have to demonstrate measures it has taken to engage the public and effected parties concerning the proposed expansion.

The area of the proposed expansion must be connected to the existing Greenbelt, but lands not adjacent to it can also be considered if it can be demonstrated that the area has a clear functional relationship to the Greenbelt.

The expansion request must be in keeping with the Greenbelt's vision of enhancing urban and rural areas and overall quality of life by promoting agricultural protection, environmental protection, culture, recreation and tourism, settlement areas, infrastructure and natural resources.

A connection between the Greenbelt plan and a program like the Oakville Natural Heritage System needs to be demonstrated.

The proposed expansion cannot impede the growth plan the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

Finally, the request must demonstrate that the proposed expansion area will not undermine provincial interests or the planning or implementation of complimentary provincial initiatives.

Burton said that Oakville's expansion proposal easily meets all these criteria, but at the end of the day the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has the final say in the matter.

Burton expects the expansion process to take approximately six or seven months.