Workers made redundant from Pike River Coal have found jobs in Australian mines.
The workers lost their jobs following a series of explosions at the company's West Coast mine in November last year which killed 29 men.
In December, Pike River Coal was placed in receivership and 114 workers made redundant.
About 40 workers have signed up to the new Whitehaven coal operation in Narrabri in inland New South Wales, while 12 workers are moving to Queensland to take up jobs.
Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn says it is disappointing for the region but does not blame the former mine employees as they have to have an income and it's natural to move to where the jobs are.
Some families have already begun leaving the West Coast, he says, but others will remain, as the workers will be able to work in Australia for two weeks at a time, returning home on their week off.
In New Zealand, state-owned mining firm Solid Energy says it will be interviewing some former Pike River employees over the next two weeks, but will not say how many are being considered for jobs.
The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) says for most of the workers who were made redundant, there was little choice but to seek work in Australia.
EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says there has always been a demand for skilled miners in Australia and there's not enough work available for them in New Zealand at the moment.
