Mayor of the Gold Coast

The Mayor of the City of the Gold Coast is presiding officer and public face of the Gold Coast City Council,[1] the local government body of the Gold Coast, Queensland. The current mayor is Tom Tate.

Mayor of the City of the Gold Coast
Incumbent
Tom Tate
since 28 April 2012 (2012-04-28)
StyleCouncillor
(Informal)
His Worship
(Formal)
Term length4 years
DeputyCr Donna Gates
WebsiteGold Coast Mayor

The mayor is charged with representing the city council and is popularly elected by residents of the City of Gold Coast local government area in local elections held every 4 years. The mayor presides over all council meetings; is the only councillor to not represent a specific Gold Coast electoral district;[2] and is the foremost representative of the Gold Coast City Council and its policies.[1]

The Gold Coast City Council reportedly maintains a budget of an estimated $1.83 billion annually,[3] among the highest of municipal governments in Australia. The mayor's office is located in the Southport Town Hall building in Southport, Queensland.[4]

Mayoral responsibilities

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Under the Local Government Act 2009 (Qld),[1] Chapter 2, Part 1, the mayor of any city in Queensland, including the Gold Coast and except for Brisbane, has the following responsibilities in addition to their duty as a councillor:

  • Leading and managing meetings of the local government at which the mayor is the chairperson, including managing the conduct of the participants at the meetings.
  • Preparing and proposing the adoption of the local government's budget.
  • Liaising with the chief executive officer on behalf of the other councillors.
  • Leading, managing, and providing strategic direction to, the chief executive officer in order to achieve the high quality administration of the local government.
  • Directing the chief executive officer, in accordance with the local government's policies.
  • Conducting a performance appraisal of the chief executive officer, at least annually, in the way that is decided by the local government (including as a member of a committee, for example).
  • Ensuring that the local government promptly provides the Minister with the information about the local government area, or the local government, that is requested by the Minister for Local Government.
  • Being a member of each standing committee of the local government.
  • Representing the local government at ceremonial or civic functions.

Delegation of mayoral responsibilities

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The Act further stipulates that "a councillor who is not the mayor may perform the mayor's extra responsibilities only if the mayor delegates the responsibility to the councillor,"[1] while also stating that "when performing a responsibility, a councillor must serve the overall public interest of the whole local government area."[1]

List of Gold Coast Mayors

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The current Gold Coast mayor is Tom Tate. He was first elected on 28 April 2012 and re-elected on both 19 March 2016 and 28 March 2020 with more than two thirds of the preferential vote.[5]

South Coast Mayor Term
Len Peak 1949–1958
Gold Coast Mayor Term
Ern Harley 1958–1967
Bruce Small 1967–1973
Robert Neumann 1973–1976
Bruce Small 1976–1978
John Andrews 1978–1979
Keith Hunt 1979–1982
Denis O'Connell 1982–1985
Denis Pie 1985–1988
Lex Bell 1988–1994
Ray Stevens 1995–1997
Gary Baildon 1997–2004
Ron Clarke 2004–2012
Tom Tate 2012–present

Former town/shire leaders

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Prior to the South Coast council forming in 1948, ten local government areas existed between the City of Brisbane and the New South Wales border. Just four of those local government areas exist within modern day Gold Coast. Below is a list of the leaders of those areas:

On 9 December 1948, as part of a major reorganisation of local government in South East Queensland, an Order in Council created the Shire of Albert by amalgamating Shire of Beenleigh, Shire of Coomera, Shire of Nerang, the southern part of Shire of Tingalpa and the eastern part of Shire of Waterford. On 8 June 1978, the Shire of Logan was created which reduced the Shire of Albert to nearly a quarter of its previous population. The Shire of Albert was amalgamated with the Gold Coast City Council in 1995. With the exception of the BeenleighEagleby region, which was transferred to Logan City in 2008, the area of the Albert Shire is still present in modern-day City of Gold Coast.

Chairman Term
Eric Gaven 1949–1950
Frank Oxenford 1950–1952
Alex Clark 1952–1958
Russ Hinze 1958–1967
Hugh Dunstan Muntz 1967–1982
Bill Laver 1982–1994
Ray Stevens 1994–1995

Election results

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2024

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2024 Queensland mayoral elections: Gold Coast[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent LNP Tom Tate 170,150 51.82 −3.91
Independent Eddy Sarroff 68,061 20.73
Independent Danielle Dunsmore 25,983 7.91
Animal Justice Jennifer Horsburgh 18,130 5.52
Independent Rosie Foster 14,642 4.46
Independent Lavinia Rampino 9,137 2.78
Independent LNP Virginia Freebody 7,800 2.38 −3.23
Independent Brett Lambert 7,581 2.31
Independent Gary Pead 6,846 2.09
Total formal votes 328,330 95.45
Informal votes 15,641 4.55
Turnout 343,971 79.94
Two-candidate-preferred result
Independent LNP Tom Tate 177,666 66.32 −0.61
Independent Eddy Sarroff 90,218 33.68 +33.68
Independent LNP hold Swing

2020

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2020 Queensland mayoral elections: Gold Coast[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Tom Tate 151,579 55.73 −8.13
Independent Mona Hecke 67,117 24.68 +24.68
Independent Brett Lambert 17,083 6.28 +3.22
Independent Virginia Freebody 15,260 5.61 +5.61
Independent Kris Bourban 9,115 3.35 +3.35
Independent Gary Pead 6,843 2.52 +2.52
Civil Liberties & Motorists Suphakan Somsriruen 2,545 0.94 +0.94
Independent Derek Rosborough 2,429 0.89 +0.89
Turnout 287,531 74.12
Two-candidate-preferred result
Independent Tom Tate 154,054 66.93 −6.21
Independent Mona Hecke 76,126 33.07 +33.07
Independent hold Swing −6.21

2016

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2016 Queensland mayoral elections: Gold Coast[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Tom Tate 172,735 63.86
Independent Penny Toland 53,081 19.62
Independent Jim Wilson 25,181 9.31
Independent Brett Lambert 8,151 3.01
Independent Andrew Middleton 5,978 2.21
Independent John Abbott 5,369 1.98
Total formal votes 270,495 94.73
Informal votes 15,050 5.27
Turnout 285,545
Two-candidate-preferred result
Independent Tom Tate 176,538 73.14
Independent Penny Toland 64,826 26.86
Independent hold Swing

2012

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2012 Queensland mayoral elections: Gold Coast[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Tom Tate 83,876 37.05
Independent Eddy Sarroff 40,958 18.09
Independent Susie Douglas 35,417 15.65
Independent Peter Young 26,977 11.92
Independent Dean Vegas 20,868 9.22
Independent Keith Douglas 14,702 6.49
Independent John Abbott 3,568 1.58
Total formal votes 226,366 95.48
Informal votes 10,724 4.52
Turnout 237,090
Two-candidate-preferred result
Independent Tom Tate 90,935 64.34
Independent Eddy Sarroff 50,399 35.66
Independent gain from Independent Swing

2008

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2008 Queensland mayoral elections: Gold Coast[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Ron Clarke 79,463 35.62
Liberal Tom Tate 59,585 26.71 +26.71
Unite GC Rob Molhoek 57,605 25.82 +25.82
Independent John Bradford 20,754 9.30
Independent Ray Schearer 5,704 2.56
Total formal votes 223,111 95.71
Informal votes 10,005 4.29
Turnout 233,116
Two-candidate-preferred result
Independent Ron Clarke 90,418 53.99
Liberal Tom Tate 77,039 46.01 +46.01
Independent hold Swing

Governance of Gold Coast City

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The city is governed at the local level by the Gold Coast City Council, whose jurisdiction spans the Gold Coast, Queensland, and surrounding areas.[12] Based on resident population, it is the second largest local government area in Australia and its council maintains a staff of over 2,500. It was established in 1948, but has existed in its present form since 1995.[12]

Wards and councillors

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Gold Coast City has been divided into 14 wards (known as divisions), each electing one councillor at elections held every four years. The most recent local government election was on 19 March 2016.[2]

Divisional Councillors are:[2]

  • Division 1: Cr Donna Gates Dep Mayor – Yatala
  • Division 2: Cr William Owen-Jones – Coomera
  • Division 3: Cr Cameron Caldwell – Paradise Point
  • Division 4: Cr Kristyn Boulton – Biggera Waters
  • Division 5: Cr Peter Young – Pacific Pines, Nerang and Hinterland areas
  • Division 6: Cr Dawn Crichlow – Southport
  • Division 7: Cr Gary Baildon – Surfers Paradise
  • Division 8: Cr Robert La Castra – Ashmore
  • Division 9: Cr Glen Tozer – Mudgeeraba
  • Division 10: Cr Paul Taylor – Broadbeach
  • Division 11: Cr Hermann Vorster – Robina
  • Division 12: Cr Pauline Young – Burleigh Heads
  • Division 13: Cr Daphne McDonald – Palm Beach
  • Division 14: Cr Gail O'Neill – Coolangatta

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Queensland Government. "Local Government Act 2009" (PDF).
  2. ^ a b c Gold Coast City Council. "Mayors and Councillors". Archived from the original on 4 December 2010.
  3. ^ Gold Coast Bulletin. "The Gold Coast's most influential people".
  4. ^ Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate and chief of staff Wayne Moran quit council HQ for Southport
  5. ^ "2020 Gold Coast City Council - Mayoral Election".
  6. ^ "Gold Coast City Mayor". Electoral Commission of Queensland. July 2019.
  7. ^ "Nomination for Mayor or Councillor - VIRGINIA MARIE VERONICA FREEBODY". Electoral Commission Queensland.
  8. ^ "Gold Coast City". Electoral Commission of Queensland.
  9. ^ "2016 Gold Coast City - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland.
  10. ^ "2012 Gold Coast City - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland.
  11. ^ "2008 Gold Coast City - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland.
  12. ^ a b Gold Coast City Council. "Council overview". Archived from the original on 31 October 2005.