The Morrison government has appointed a long-time Liberal Party staffer to a $350,000-a-year job heading up the agency managing the struggling Great Barrier Reef, fuelling accusations the Coalition is stacking the senior public service with its political allies ahead of the May election.

Environment Minister Melissa Price on Friday announced Josh Thomas, a former adviser to three Liberal environment ministers, including herself, had been appointed as chief executive of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. The role attracts a salary of $353,180 a year.

The press release said the "rigorous" and "merit-based" selection process was conducted by a public service panel and endorsed by the Australian Public Service commissioner. It did not disclose that Mr Thomas worked in Ms Price's office until he resigned in mid-February. He has also worked for Josh Frydenberg and Greg Hunt in the portfolio.

Environment Minister Melissa Price has appointed along-time Liberal adviser to a plum $350,000 Great Barrier Reef job. Credit:Alex Ellinhausen

The appointment follows the government’s highly controversial decision to bestow the privately run Great Barrier Reef Foundation with almost $500 million in public funding to administer projects to improve the health of the natural wonder, which has suffered devastating coral bleaching as a result of climate change.