Dean Taylor — From chasing stories to shaping Waipā’s future

For 40 years, Dean Taylor was the bloke behind the camera, scribbling notes on the go and capturing Te Awamutu’s stories as they unfolded. Now, he’s helping shape what comes next.

His first job at the Te Awamutu Courier opened the door to a lifetime of local stories — covering the town’s characters, celebrations and stoushes at their best (and most colourful).

“I’ve had the chance to hear countless local stories, meet a wide range of people and see the community grow and change,” Dean says.

That curiosity eventually pulled him into local government. His thinking was simple: if you want to make things happen, sometimes it’s better to get inside the tent than shout from outside it.

After a break from politics, Dean returned to Council last year, bringing four decades of local knowledge — and probably a few more Te Awamutu stories than most.

He’s passionate about protecting what makes Waipā special, supporting projects like the proposed Te Ara Wai Museum, and ensuring growth doesn’t come at the expense of the character that brought people here in the first place.

For someone who has spent a lifetime telling Waipā’s stories, having a hand in what comes next feels like a pretty good fit.