Last year Mayor Tom Tate took out the number 1 spot. But this year it is someone new.

We’ve been counting down from 100 to 1 all week - debating whose power rose and fell in 2016.

There’s been CEOs, sport stars, politicians, celebrities and lawyers to name a few.

But who holds the ultimate power and influence for the Gold Coast? Scroll down to see

CHAPTER 1: COAST’S MOST INFLUENTIAL 100-81

CHAPTER 2: COAST’S MOST INFLUENTIAL 80-61

CHAPTER 3: COAST’S MOST INFLUENTIAL 60-41

CHAPTER 4: COAST’S MOST INFLUENTIAL 40-21

CHAPTER 5: COAST’S MOST INFLUENTIAL 20-11

CHAPTER 7: POWER 100: RISE AND FALL OF MOST INFLUENTIAL

10 MARK PETERS

THE 2018 Commonwealth Games CEO is charged with delivering the biggest event on the Australian calendar.

The past 12 months has brought some concerns with union actions threatening to delay key Games venues, however organisers maintain everything will be ready a year in advance of the opening ceremony.

The well-respected CEO previously headed up the Australian Sports Commission and has been involved with the Games since the city’s bid.

Games company Goldoc will eventually employ more than 1000 staff, up to 15,000 volunteers and 45,000 contractors.

Mr Peters will continue to work closely with all levels of government and manage a swiftly-growing team of staff from the headquarters at Ashmore as he powers towards 2018.

09 JOHN WITHERIFF

CHAIRMAN of the Coast’s light rail creator and operator GoldLinq and Nexus Infrastructure, the company building the $1.6 billion Toowoomba Range Crossing. Mr Witheriff is also head of Minter Ellison and chairman of Plenary Schools – a company which specialises in public-private partnerships. He stepped down as the Gold Coast Suns inaugural chairman early in 2016.

08 TONY COCHRANE

MR Cochrane’s straight-talking manner and head for strategy has seen him highly regarded in his new role as chairman of the Gold Coast Suns.

He helped broker a deal which will see the Suns take on Port Adelaide in China as the code looks to grow its reach to Asia, and has picked fights with some of AFL’s heaviest hitters in the name of the Suns.

The role has further built on his reputation as one of the nation’s key sport leaders, as he already held formidable national clout as former long-time chairman of V8 Supercars, which he helped grow into an expanding powerhouse.

International Entertainment Consulting, the business he runs with wife Thea Jeanes-Cochrane, has also enjoyed a big year, premiering a highly-acclaimed Rolling Stones exhibition in London.

07 PETER BEATTIE

THE irrepressible former Labor Premier took over from LNP-appointed Commonwealth Games chairman Nigel Chamier in May, nine years after he ‘left’ politics, and three years after making an unsuccessful run for the Federal seat of Forde.

Mr Beattie has heightened his national profile with several media gigs, including regular spots on Sky News and Sunrise.

Games organisers are hoping Mr Beattie’s slick sales skills translate into maximum sponsorship and publicity for the 2018 event.

In the past 12 months, Mr Beattie oversaw Games milestones including the reveal of the Queen’s Baton design, mascot Borobi and numerous key partnerships and supplier deals.

On Goldoc’s quest for $80 million in sponsorship, Mr Beattie will undoubtedly be looking to attract a Coca-Cola or McDonald’s-sized sponsor to the fold in 2017.

06 RON CALVERT

THE CEO of Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service oversaw the mammoth task of relocating a major working hospital in 2014. He manages an organisation with a budget of more than $1.2 billion and more than 6000 staff and growing. The hospital is among the nation’s fastest-growing, with demand for services an ongoing challenge

05 CHRIS HEMSWORTH

WHILE he doesn’t have the overt power that comes with passing laws or employing thousands, the heart-throb movie star wields influence far beyond our city limits.

He spent 2016 turning the Gold Coast into the God Coast as Thor while filming the latest installation of the Marvel movie franchise.

Just the sound of his voice generated media stories worth the equivalent of $55 million in marketing dollars for Tourism Australia when he fronted the nation’s coastal tourism campaign.

He has used that valuable voice and public profile to boost local charities including mental health awareness group Livin’, was the 2016 GQ Man of the Year, has Hollywood on speed dial, is married to a Spanish starlet but has somehow managed to remain a knockabout Byron Bay surfer dad.

04 DAVID FANG and MIN YANG

THE pair behind ASF Group’s $3 billion integrated resort bid has the financial backing and experience to create a city-changing development at their Main Beach site. After more than a year of apparent government inactivity over the project, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced ASF’s plan would open for public consultation just before Christmas.

It would have five skyscrapers, luxury hotels, serviced residences and conference facilities.

Casino mogul James Packer is set to partner the group, which has remained in the city since its plans for a resort and cruise ship terminal were scuttled when Labor was elected.

ASF also has approval for a 66-storey golden tower, the Au, in Southport and major developments at Hope Island which launched in the past year.

03 TOM TATE

DON’T let the Mayor’s drop from first place in last year’s list fool you, this colourful guy has had a good year. He romped back into the Mayor chair in March with the support of most locals and got quickly back to work on his legacy projects including a cruise ship terminal and the cultural centre. Has been instrumental in major Chinese investment in the city and is rumoured to have back-flipped on his promise of this being his last term in office.

02 BOB EAST

BOB East is the biggest player in the Gold Coast’s biggest game. Since debuting on this list at number 39 in 2009, and climbing to second last year, the chairman of Tourism and Events Queensland and CEO of Gold Coast-based Mantra Group has been unstoppable in his business and industry.

Mr East is a board member of the Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF), deputy chairman of the Gold Coast Suns and is on the Bond University Advisory Board for Tourism. Mantra Group has 126 properties worth over $7 billion under management, is the nation’s number one hotel and resort operator. and employs 5500 people. It was included in the ASX 200 in 2014.

In 2016, Mr East announced Mantra Group, of which he is a major shareholder, would open new hotels in Melbourne, Perth and Queenstown in 2019.

01 STEVE CIOBO

THE Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister is the Gold Coast’s longest-serving Federal MP and the highest-ranking politician in the city.

He retained his seat of Moncrieff with a healthy majority despite a three per cent swing against him and his standing soared when he landed the key Turnbull Government portfolio, a role which has seen him travel the world spruiking the benefits of trading with Australia.

Mr Ciobo has the ear of the Prime Minister and took on the Tourism portfolio as it was elevated to Cabinet from the outer ministry for the first time, recognising the sector’s crucial role in the nation’s economy. The conservative Liberal is a long-time ally of Mayor Tom Tate and has worked hard on raising his public profile, frequently appearing on television and radio talk shows at home and abroad.

Mr Ciobo grew up in Mareeba near Cairns but moved to the Coast as a teenager to study at Bond University. Before entering politics he worked as a consultant with Coopers & Lybrand and PricewaterhouseCoopers, and reportedly at one stage considered joining Australia’s spy agency ASIO.

His first 11 months in Cabinet have seen him lead the liberalisation of air service arrangements with China to increase trade and tourism, with a new open China aviation market agreement confirmed in December. Mr Ciobo has also pursued export agreements with Indonesia, the European Union, and the UK to generate more trade and investment opportunities. He secured $639m for tourism marketing, hosted the Australian Tourism Exchange and Australia’s first GoPro Summit, which alone exposed the Gold Coast to more than 200 million people around the world.

The popular MP lives at Surfers Paradise with wife Astra and two young sons Asher and Tennyson.

In 2017 he will continue to assist Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in developing the nation’s first Foreign Policy White Paper, to guide Australia’s dealings with the international community in the next decade.

He retained his seat of Moncrieff with a healthy majority despite a three per cent swing against him and his standing soared when he landed the key Turnbull Government portfolio, a role which has seen him travel the world spruiking the benefits of trading with Australia.

Mr Ciobo has the ear of the Prime Minister and took on the Tourism portfolio as it was elevated to Cabinet from the outer ministry for the first time, recognising the sector’s crucial role in the nation’s economy. The conservative Liberal is a long-time ally of Mayor Tom Tate and has worked hard on raising his public profile, frequently appearing on television and radio talk shows at home and abroad.