Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced an extension for people in the Port Hills considering the Crown's purchase offer for their land.
Owners of 714 red-zone properties now have until the end of August next year, instead of the end of March, to decide whether to accept the offer.
The properties are deemed to have unacceptable level of life risk from rock fall.
The extension was given because of delays in the results of a review of the Port Hills zoning decisions.
Results made public last week show 237 properties will go from being green to red zone and 33 will go from being red-zoned to green.
"We recognised earlier on that these delays - partly as a result of the Quake Outcasts judgment in the High Court - had been very tough on the affected property owners," Mr Brownlee said.
"It's now become clear that we need to give those red zoned property owners - particularly those whose properties have gone red in the review - more time in which to carefully consider the crown's offer, get all the advice they need, and to make an informed decision."
AAP reports the first of the offer letters will be sent in the next week.