Hans Lovejoy Available for Brisbane contract & temporary roles – on-site or hybrid | Based in Mullumbimby, NSW

Hans Lovejoy

Communications · Stakeholder Engagement · Governance · Project Delivery

I'm a senior communications and stakeholder engagement professional with 23 years in public-interest communication, including 15 years leading editorial operations at independent regional newspaper, The Byron Shire Echo.

I have extensive experience working with local and state elected representatives, government officials, legal counsel, regulators and community stakeholders, and I'm skilled at translating complex issues into clear, accessible public communication.

I also bring experience in governance, ethical decision-making, risk management, quality assurance and team leadership.

Phone 0412 732 465

Email hans@hanslovejoy.com

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/hans-lovejoy-1a326a54

Get in touch Download CV

References available on request

Hans Lovejoy
Phone 0412 732 465 Email hans@hanslovejoy.com LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/hans-lovejoy-1a326a54
Get in touch Download CV

References available on request

Background

What I bring

For 15 years, I led editorial operations for The Echo, an independent regional newspaper in Byron Shire, directing planning, research, commissioning, editing, quality assurance and pre-press delivery, and applying governance controls across accuracy, evidence, attribution, privacy, conflicts, legal risk, complaints and corrections. The role also included leading a team of five journalists across print and online and coordinating contributors, while serving as a primary relationship point for government, elected representatives, legal advisers, regulators and community organisations.

I'm currently working for the office of NSW Ballina MP Tamara Smith on a flexible basis, providing graphic design for her print and web campaign materials. I'm available for Brisbane-based contract and temporary roles, will relocate to Brisbane for the right position, and can travel up as needed in the meantime.

Aside from my media and communications work, I'm also a bandleader and double bass player of more than 30 years – see my music CV.

Core capabilities

  • Strategic & plain-English communication
  • Stakeholder & community engagement
  • Government, regulatory & public-sector literacy
  • Governance, ethics, risk & quality assurance
  • Project & operational delivery
  • Research, analysis, briefing & issues management
  • Training, mentoring & capability development
  • Complaints, corrections & sensitive-matter handling

By the numbers

23Years professional experience
15Years leading editorial operations
22,000Weekly print circulation under my editorship
~30,000Weekly active online users
1.4mOnline users in 2025
~6,700Daily newsletter subscribers

Outcomes

What I deliver

Career history

Experience

2026 – present

MP Support Role – Office of Tamara Smith MP (Ballina)

Graphic design for print and web campaign materials for the office of NSW Ballina MP Tamara Smith, on a flexible basis.

Jan – Jul 2026

Online Editor/Journalist – The Echo (Byron Shire Echo)

Produced daily online news and a daily newsletter for about 6,700 subscribers, and laid out newspaper articles and letters to the editor. Developed working prototypes of automated publishing tools, built with AI assistance: media-release triage and draft generation, scrapers for council and government websites, a story formatter with a tag library, SEO fields and image handling, Mailchimp newsletter automation and a WordPress publishing script, with editorial review of every draft.

2011 – 2026

Editor – The Echo (Byron Shire Echo)

Directed end-to-end editorial and communications operations. Primary relationship point for government, elected representatives, legal advisers, regulators, businesses and community organisations. Led a team of five journalists across print and online, coordinated contributors, and laid out print pages in InDesign and Photoshop. Applied governance, risk and quality-assurance controls with final accountability for publication decisions.

2003 – 2011

Journalist – The Echo (Byron Shire Echo)

Researched and reported on local government, environment, legal affairs, planning and community issues. Built durable stakeholder networks across government, legal, business and community sectors.

1990 – present

Professional Musician, Bandleader & Educator – Self-employed

More than 30 years of professional performance and teaching. See Music below.

Selected work

Reporting & editorial portfolio

Over 15 years as Editor of The Echo, I personally wrote more than 1,300 published articles covering government, regulation, public policy, legal matters, environment, business and community issues.

The selected work below demonstrates my ability to research complex matters, assess evidence, work with diverse stakeholders, interpret government and regulatory processes, and communicate clearly to broad audiences.

Investigations & accountability

Research-intensive work involving evidence assessment, stakeholder engagement and scrutiny of government, regulatory and organisational decisions.

Government, policy & regulatory analysis

Work requiring interpretation of legislation, policy, public administration and regulatory processes, translated into clear public-facing communication.

Complex issues explained

Longer-form and specialist work demonstrating my ability to understand technical, legal or contested subjects and make them accessible to non-specialist audiences.

Community & stakeholder consultation

Work developed through sustained engagement with community organisations, government representatives, businesses, subject-matter experts and individuals affected by public decisions.

Editorial & opinion

Opinion and editorial writing on local governance, media and public affairs.

Also

Music

I'm also a professional bassist, bandleader and educator with more than 30 years’ experience.

View music profile →