Thomas Richard Tate (born 15 January 1959) is a Laotian-born Australian businessman, property investor and politician who is the current mayor of the City of Gold Coast.

[3] At 11 months of age, Tate's mother took him to Thailand and falsely claimed it was a home birth in order to gain Thai-born citizenship.

However, he later transitioned into the tourism and hospitality sector upon moving to the Gold Coast, where he managed his family's Queensland properties, including the Park Regis in Southport.

[17] Throughout Tate’s tenure as Mayor, he has been committed to three outcomes for the City: keeping rates low, delivering value-for-money services to the community, and reducing council debt.

[18] Tate and his administration have navigated various challenges across council and city development, responding effectively, while also successfully overseeing the hosting of the 2018 Commonwealth Games and recently joining the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic planning committee.

[19] Throughout the four terms under Tate’s leadership, the economy has faced a number of challenges that tested the annual budgets each year, such as post COVID-19 inflationary and cost of living pressures.

Under Tom Tate's administration, they have responded to this by keeping rates at or below the Consumer Price Index (CPI) at each years annual budget.

[26] The Naturally GC program, initiated in 2008, has been expanded under Tate's leadership, promoting 326 environmental events with 14,000 participants engaged in various activities.

[27] Tate’s administration is developing Greenheart, a 257-hectare site in Merrimac and Robina, to create a new sport, recreation, and event hub to further highlight the need to invest in environmental initiatives throughout the city.

[29] The Advanced Resource Recovery Centre (ARRC) project is also being developed and put forward by Tate in response to the Gold Coast's landfill capacity issues and the devotion to reduce the City’s environmental impact.

The Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 project commenced major work in July 2022, costing $1.2 billion for a 6.7km extension from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads, enhancing public transportation connectivity.

[36] Tate also oversaw a $22.3 million upgrade to the Merrimac Sewage Treatment Plant,[37] enhancing the City's recycled water network.

[44] Additionally, measures such as free seniors travel,[45] dog registration initiatives,[46] and green organics bin rollouts[47] aim to improve accessibility and sustainability within the community.

[48] Tom Tate is also investing in a 69-hectare park in Mudgeeraba, enhancing infrastructure and creating a high-performance environment for 2,500 netball, rugby league, and baseball club members.

It will also serve as a cultural hub, supporting local artists and communities, and offering social and educational opportunities in the arts and entertainment sector.

[53] Tate is also planning to build a flexible indoor entertainment arena for 8,000 to 12,000 attendees, aiming to host diverse world-class events.

Today, post games venues enjoy around 92 percent occupancy with local, national, and international sporting events part of our annual calendar.

[57] Tate has also been appointed to join the board of Brisbane’s Olympic and Paralympic Game Organising Committee, following years of criticism about the city's exclusion from planning for the 2032 event.

It’s this experience and enthusiasm that I think Tom will bring to the Brisbane Organising Committee.”[58] Members of Parliament from both political sides also expressed support for Tate's inclusion, recognising his advocacy for the 2032 games.

Mr. McDonald (LNP) from Lockyer, welcomed Tate's inclusion, citing his support for previous sporting events and his potential contribution to the Olympic and Paralympic Games organising committee.

[66] On 2 March 2018, Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) announced it would investigate Mayor Tom Tate as part of Operation Yabber, a broader inquiry into the City of Gold Coast's decision-making processes.

[69] In January 2020, the CCC released an 84-page report detailing multiple policy breaches by Tate, misuse of taxpayer money,[70] and inappropriate direction of the council's CEO.

[71] The report, described as a "scathing rebuke,"[72] highlighted that Tate's Chief of Staff, Wayne Moran, friends, and associates were beneficiaries through his position.

[73] The CCC found no grounds for criminal proceedings against Tate or any council members[74] but referred several matters to the Office of Independent Assessor (OIA).

Tom Tate has consistently maintained his innocence, alleging that the CCC overstepped its mandate in investigating him and the City of Gold Coast council.

He was ordered to undergo counselling and pay a $1250 fine for making "untrue and unreasonable comments" on social media, criticising fellow Councillor Glenn Tozer.