hello.

I'm Travis Jordan and my pronouns are he/him.I'm a strategy and communications professional and I live and work in Brisbane on stolen Turrbul, Jagara and Bundjalung lands.I am a government strategy and communications professional with ten years’ experience running highly motivated and capable teams and delivering a total public affairs solution. Having worked as a lawyer, management consultant and policy adviser, I’m an all-round troubleshooter no matter what problems you’re having. I’m proudly values-led and orient my career and everything outside it towards building a fairer, more sustainable and more productive Australia for everyone.I'm always available to help out with whatever you need done.

work I've done

This is a kinda hightech cv or lowtech linkedin depending how you look at it. DM me for refs.

jobs

Director at earthtone advisory
July 2022 to presentI run a boutique consulting service delivering community and stakeholder engagement, grants, professional training, business development, strategic planning, and media and communications. My clients have included YIMBY Melbourne, Tim Read MP, Humdinger and SPR Media.

Communications Lead at Resources Safety and Health Queensland
May 2025 to August 2025My most recent client was a state government agency who needed an Principal Communications Adviser to fill in during a major transition period. I supported the Director of the Office of the CEO to translate their new strategic plan into operational policies and procedures, through a people-first lens.

Communications Lead at the Office of Stephen Bates MP and State Media Lead at the Queensland Greens
September 2023 to May 2025I delivered a full public affairs suite for Stephen Bates MP, their national LGBTIQA+ spokesperson. I managed media, public risk, audience analytics, message testing, multiple websites, social media across five platforms, copywriting, design and face-to-face ambassador training for three major election campaigns in just 18 months. I delivered a robust local grants process, reaching hundreds of local not-for-profits with grantwriting advice and workshops and running competitive small grants for hundreds of thousands of dollars.For four months, I did double duty running statewide media and risk management for the 2024 Queensland state election, wrangling media stories up and down Queensland and supporting candidates with communications and risk management.Big achievement: designing and delivering a 150 output communications plan — everything from outdoor advertising and direct mail campaigns to stunts and media spectacles — in just three months

Media Lead and Communications Adviser at Melton City Council
August 2022 to September 2023I delivered the Council’s government relations, media and public affairs strategy — the only person working on media relations — and provided round-the-clock support for the Mayor. I wrote a fortnightly newsletter, wrote speeches and hot issues briefs, produced social media content for LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook and liaised with media and community organisations.Big achievement: landing the largest and most successful state election advocacy campaign the council has ever run with record media mentions and the first dedicated meet the candidates forum

Senior Media Adviser at the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning
July 2019 to July 2022I delivered the whole-of-department approach to media and issues management, liaising with journalists and Ministers’ teams. My beats were planning and urban development, land use, local government, water, energy and complex corporate matters. I was the team’s highest performer, averaging over 220 enquiries, 110 media releases and 400 agency media approvals per year.Big achievement: after taking over tracking the team’s KPIs, I got the average response time from over a day to under 4 hours and ensured we met over 63% of deadlines no matter how short

Legal Policy Adviser at the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning
June 2018 to June 2019I managed the governance and integrity framework for our 1,200+ agencies’ boards, from tiny volunteer parks committees to billion-dollar water and energy corporations. I wrote internal policies, recruited agency boards, and conducted risk analysis and strategic planning.Big achievement: developing a new statewide integrity framework for boards including a new conflicts of interest policy following a scathing Auditor General’s report

Policy Adviser at the Office of Caroline Le Couteur MLA
December 2016 to June 2018I provided policy and strategic advice to Ministers and MLAs on arts policy, privacy and digital rights, electoral and Parliamentary reform, renters’ rights, city and municipal services and women's and LGBTIQA+ health — including directly negotiating with other Ministers and opposition MLAs.Big achievement: rewriting the Health Act’s approach to reproductive health and termination of pregnancy, one of the only non-government bills to pass unamended ever in the Assembly

Policy Adviser at the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines
November 2016 to January 2017I worked with the Practice and Standards team to deliver client-facing legal work as well as working on policy, legislation, “Digital Futures” planning, generating client-side process improvements, and researching succession, caveats, and trusts.Big achievement: learned way too much about how sovereign citizens and conspiracy theorists operate in Queensland — years before it was a mainstream news topic

Field Organiser at Michael Berkman's campaign for Maiwar in 2017Senior Clerk at Craig Ray & Associates, Solicitors from 2014 to 2016Administration Assistant at the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists in 2014Marketing and Finance Assistant at Communify Queensland in 2014Retail Assistant at Bentley's Camera House from 2013 to 2014Retail Assistant at Stafford Ellinson Menswear from 2012 to 2013Retail Assistant at Real Christmas Trees in 2011Bartender at Suncorp Stadium from 2010 to 2011Marketing Assistant at the University of Queensland from 2009 to 2014Waiter at La Dolce Vida Cafe in 2009Retail Assistant at Wow Sight and Sound from 2008 to 2009

impact

leadership> led two organisations — Freeplay and Cooperative Power — through rapid 10x customer growth in just 18 months> delivered three record-breaking election campaigns for Brisbane's inner north in just 12 months> triggered a Victorian inquiry by showing how municipal processes and elections structurally exclude renters and young people

media appearancesI've been privileged to be a featured expert in news stories on housing, cities and democracy across Australia and even had some columns of my own published. Here's a selection from over the years.Rebuilding Australian political parties in Inflection Points, November 2025Queensland's heritage laws criticised as Broadway Hotel owners propose demolishing vandalised wings by Kenji Sato (ABC), October 2025The fight over your backyard: Why NIMBY has become a ‘dirty word’ by Gina Rushton (ABC), July 2025Sprawl or nothing: medium-density advocates despair as Brisbane swings back to urban expansion by Andrew Messenger (The Guardian), July 2025Opinion: This election shows us we desperately need more members in our Assembly with Dr Francis Markham in The Canberra Times, November 2024

writing

I produce practical public policy research on workforce planning, diversity and inclusion, metagovernance, democratic and civic institutions, housing and urban planning, tech and digital, and arts, culture and screen industries. My research has been cited by ABC, Brisbane Times, The Age, Australian Financial Review, The Australia Institute, Queensland Productivity Commission and many others.Some of the research I publish under my own name and some I've collaborated with other organisations to deliver timely advocacy reports. Here's a few examples of the work I've led over the last few years.Green shoots for the grassroots: Maintaining trust in our democracy by restoring participation in democratic institutions, September 2025The ACT Assembly's backbench problem: Why Canberra needs more politicians, September 2025Fixing Victoria’s Parliamentary expansion problem with a constitutional ratchet, January 2025Queensland’s missing piece of the integrity puzzle: Why are we one of the last jurisdictions without an Electoral Matters Committee? as an open letter from leading democracy and integrity advocates nationwide, November 2024Reducing Brisbane's car parking minimums in the inner city for Greater Brisbane, November 2024Policy fragmentation in housing and urban development within Commonwealth departments for Abundant Housing Network, August 2024Boosting green space in Woolloongabba through strategic road closures and intensive development for Greater Brisbane, July 2024A rising tide lifts all boats: Recalibrating affordable housing minimums in priority development areas for Greater Brisbane, July 2024Renters should be represented on government boards governing rental regulation for Greater Brisbane, April 2024Changing Commonwealth property disposal policy to expedite the release of Defence land for Abundant Housing Network, February 2024Housing abundance is the only way to fix Australia's worsening rental crisis for Abundant Housing Network, August 2023The corrosive impact of renttech on renters' digital rights for Digital Rights Watch, July 2023The role of councils in exacerbating the housing crisis and why renters don't get a look in for YIMBY Melbourne, June 2023How Parliament can enhance its deliberative approach to digital and tech policy for Digital Rights Watch, June 2023Breaking Big Tech's hold on Australia by democratising digital economies for Digital Rights Watch, March 2023Protecting voters' rights to privacy and not be spammed during election campaigns for Digital Rights Watch, September 2022

giving back

leadershipFounder and Lead Organiser at Greater Brisbane, Brisbane's grassroots YIMBY network, from 2023 to presentFounding Director at the Abundant Housing Network, Australia's national network of grassroots YIMBY groups, from 2023 to presentState Media Section Councillor at the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Australia's journalists and writers union, from 2025 to presentDirector at the Proportional Representation Society, electoral and democratic reform advocates for over 130 years, from 2024 to presentDirector and Corporate Secretary at Freeplay, national peak body for independent gamemakers and digital art, from 2019 to presentMunicipal and State Parliamentary Liaison at the Queensland Greens from 2025 to presentNational Vice President at Cooperative Power, Australia's largest energy retail cooperative, from 2021 to 2025Director at Digital Rights Watch, tech and digital policy researchers and privacy watchdog, from 2022 to 2023National Councillor inc. National Policy and National Governance and Finance Committees at the Australian Greens from 2017 to 2023State Policy Committee at the Victorian Greens from 2020 to 2022State Policy Committee and Federal Election Strategist at the ACT Greens from 2017 to 2018State Policy Committee at the Queensland Greens from 2016 to 2017

campaigns and projectscoordinated a statewide campaign for Parliamentary integrity reform at An Electoral Matters Committee for Queensland in 2024campaigned for housing affordability and planning reform at YIMBY Melbourne from 2023 to presentbargained for a better deal for all Commonwealth public servants at the Community and Public Sector Union from 2023 to 2025coordinated Penny Allman-Payne's Senate campaign at Queensland Greens in 2022developed a new state Democracy, Integrity and Government policy for the Victorian Greens from 2021 to 2022developed a new national Industry and Manufacturing policy for the Australian Greens from 2019 to 2021built a new alliance for a Green New Deal for Australia at the Climate Justice Collective from 2019 to 2020campaigned for Adam Pulford for Wills at the Victorian Greens in 2019campaigned for sustainable cities, public and active transport and housing justice at the Friends of the Earth in 2018campaigned for Huong Truong for Western Metropolitan Region at the Victorian Greens in 2018developed a new national Public Service and Public Governance policy at the Australian Greens in 2018bargained for a better deal for all ACT public servants at the Community and Public Sector Union from 2017 to 2018led a citywide campaign for equal marriage and equal love at the Australian Marriage Equality Campaign in 2017produced live panel shows at the New Globe Theatre from 2016 to 2017campaigned for Larissa Waters for the Senate at the Queensland Greens in 2016campaigned for abortion decriminalisation at Young Queenslanders for a Right to Choose from 2016 to 2018campaigned for a Human Rights Act for Queensland at Australian Lawyers for Human Rights from 2016 to 2017founded and edited a new literary journal at Jacaranda Journal from 2014 to 2016founded a new humanties student society and consulted on a new faculty curriculum at the University of Queensland from 2013 to 2016designed a new framework for training young adults working with children at Scouts Australia from 2012 to 2015produced city-wide adventure games to teach teenagers urban survival skills at Urban Challenge from 2010 to 2012produced a peer-led activity programme for an accessible summer camp at Agoonoree from 2009 to 2013taught children hands-on theatre skills and wrote and produced jukebox musicals at BGS from 2009 to 2016

qualifications

Admitted as a lawyer at the Supreme Court of QueenslandGraduate Diploma in Legal Practice at Australian National UniversityBachelor of Laws at the University of QueenslandBachelor of Arts (Political Science) at the University of QueenslandFacilitation for Community Engagement at Capire Learning LabsQueensland Government Policy Practice at the University of Queensland

how to contact me

I'm available to chat pretty much all the time. I don't mind catching up for a coffee in person if I'm in town or giving you a call if I'm not.If you're looking for my consulting work, check out earthtone.au.

hello. is it me you're looking for
i can see it in your eyes
i can see it in your smile
you're all i've ever wanted,
and my arms are open wide
'cause you know just what to say
and you know just what to do
and i want to tell you so much,you can hop on the blower to me anytime.