Hucker rested and back at work

Auckland City deputy mayor Dr Bruce Hucker says he is in excellent health and has resumed all his council duties after taking time off work because of exhaustion.

The City Vision leader was taken to hospital on September 30 and underwent medical tests before taking time to rest at home. He had carried on his responsibilities as a councillor.

"I'm fine. I'm fully recovered and cleared to go back to work," Dr Hucker said last night. "I'm acting sensibly. I'm perfectly fit. There's nothing to worry about."

As well as chairing regional and council committees, Dr Hucker is involved with all major planning decisions and works part time as a senior lecturer at Auckland University's planning department.

Dr Hucker, 61, said a planned review next month of the council's committee structure would look at workloads for everybody. Other positions he held, such as the Auckland Regional Transport Network shareholders' representative, would come to an end before the end of the year.

Mayor Dick Hubbard said he was confident his deputy was back to full strength.

"Dr Hucker has assured me he is pacing himself and watching himself. I am totally confident that we move forward on an onwards and upwards basis. We are pleased he is back up to full strength and back on field with those responsibilities."

Mr Hubbard, who met City Vision-Labour councillors Vern Walsh and Richard Northey and chief executive David Rankin to assess Dr Hucker's return to work, said last night that the situation had been a "wake-up call for all of us".

"One of the things I am saying to all councillors is that we have got to make sure we don't inadvertently overload."

Mr Hubbard said a review of council committee structure and delegations, which had been scheduled for next month, was likely to look at responsibilities and duties for everyone.

"Just to make sure we have got it appropriately balanced and we are not loading too many responsibilities on to one person."

Mr Northey and Mr Walsh were appointed to temporarily fill in for Dr Hucker while Mr Hubbard was in China last week.