Tom Tate has been Mayor of the Gold Coast since first being elected in 2012. He was re-elected in 2016, 2020 and again in 2024. Throughout his time in office, he has been committed to three key outcomes for the city: keeping rates low; delivering value-for-money services to the community; and a focus on core business. These three priorities have seen him re-elected with strong primary vote.
Tom Tate was elected Mayor of the Gold Coast, Australia’s 6th largest city, in April 2012. Now the longest-serving Mayor in the city’s history, he was re-elected for a fourth term in March 2024.
Mayor Tate is a civil engineer by trade, having graduated from the University of NSW in the early 1980s. He started his career in the construction industry and later moved into the tourism and hospitality industry.
With a strong business background, Mayor Tate has spent his time in office ensuring everyone knows that the Gold Coast is ‘open for business’. This has seen certainty return to the city, which in turn has boosted confidence and created significant investment across the Gold Coast.
Mayor Tate is leading a city that is embracing change and dreaming big. Mayor Tate is looking towards the future and legacy opportunities that will come from the Brisbane 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games, where the Gold Coast will host multiple sports and a Games village. Continuing to focus on the key areas of transport and digital infrastructure; health, education and knowledge; sports and events; film and screen; arts/culture and business investment, Mayor Tate is committed to ensuring a future for the Gold Coast that includes a strong diversified economy, more jobs and protecting the city’s enviable lifestyle.
Mayor Tate is dedicated to reducing the cost of living pressures facing residents, reforming Council, cutting waste and continuing to broaden the Gold Coast’s economic base.
Mayor Tate and his wife, Ruth have four children, and grandchildren. The multicultural Mayor was born in Asia and is fluent in three languages.