Canterbury health authorities say they are close to getting resthome residents who were evacuated from Christchurch back to the city.
About 500 residents were moved as a result of damage to resthomes in Christchurch from the earthquake in February.
Three hundred were sent to facilities from Northland to Invercargill and 200 to facilities elsewhere in Canterbury.
The evacuations began within days of the 22 February quake.
Canterbury District Health Board has been bringing back those who want to return and says it will complete the repatriation process this month.
It says 130 residents have now returned and 12 more will arrive home by the end of the month.
Ninety-five residents opted to remain where they were sent and 145 have died since the move.
The DHB says it has spent $313,000 helping families visit residents who were moved and repatriations have cost it $238,000.
DHB says deaths high - but unclear why
Meanwhile, the DHB says the number of deaths among the relocated resthome residents does seem higher than would have been expected for the time of year.
DHB Executive Director Allied Health Stella Ward says the deaths are being investigated to see if they can be related to stress caused by the earthquakes or the stress of having to move.
She says the 145 deaths are almost evenly divided between those who had to be moved long distances and those who had only a short journey and any move is risky for those who are in frail health.
