Daran Ponter


Daran Ponter is a New Zealand local-body politician who on the 30th of October 2019 succeeded Chris Laidlaw as the chair of the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Biography

Early life

Ponter was born in Kitwe in Zambia's central province. His family later relocated to Suva, Fiji where he attended school. Arriving in New Zealand in 1981, Ponter found work as a petrol station attendant in Palmerston North before studying sociology and geography at Massey University. After graduation he obtained a Masters of Public Policy from Victoria University in Wellington. Before politics he worked as a regional planner in the Bay of Plenty and in various ministries. Later, he established an independent public policy consultancy with his wife Vickie.

Political career

Ponter first stood for office in 1998 where he unsuccessfully contested a seat on the Wellington Regional Council as part of the Labour Party ticket. In 2001 he stood for the Wellington City Council in the Eastern Ward, but was again unsuccessful.
He was first elected to the regional council in 2010 serving until 2013 when he failed to secure re-election. However he was appointed a council member again in April 2016 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of former chairperson Fran Wilde. He was re-elected for two further terms in both 2016 and 2019. Following the 2019 elections he was elected chairperson of the council unopposed.
In May 2020, the regional council confirmed all fares would be fully subsidised until the end of June, making all train and bus journeys free.