Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young was among the highest South Australian recipients of individual donations during 2013's election campaign, according to financial disclosure returns released today.

Ms Hanson-Young received $300,000 from Anna Milanowicz from Adelaide, who is married to Internode founder and National Broadband Network board member Simon Hackett.

The 2013-14 Australian Electoral Commission's annual disclosure of financial returns stated that Ms Milanowicz also donated $100,000 to Greens Senator Scott Ludlum's campaign in Western Australia.

Ms Milanowicz said the two donations were based on her personal convictions.

"Sarah Hanson-Young and Scott Ludlam are two individuals with great integrity who frequently express the concerns I have about Australia's direction," Ms Milanowicz said.

"I wanted to help their re-election campaigns to ensure there are articulate voices in the Senate advocating for the environment."

Ms Hanson-Young said South Australians wanted the environment and the Greens' commitment to human rights protected.

"Those who donated to my campaign understand that the Greens are the only party standing up for what matters and I sincerely appreciate their support," she said.

The Greens also received a $50,000 donation from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.

Major parties received major funds before state election

The Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association gave the South Australian Liberal Party $320,000.

The donation was made at a time when the SA Government was pushing ahead with marine parks protection legislation that the Opposition had promised to withdraw and review if it won last March's state election.

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said his party's stance on marine parks had been known for years and headed off any suggestion that the Liberals' policy could be bought.

"Our position has been very well entrenched regarding marine parks for years and years," he said.

The Liberal Party also received $30,000 from SA company Southern Quarries and $100,000 from resources exploration company Beach Energy, which is exploring for unconventional gas in the state's south-east.

Beach Energy also donated to Labor as did local manufacturing company, Hills, which donated $20,000 to both major parties.

The State Government last year signed a $5 million deal with Hills to create two new innovation centres.

Premier Jay Weatherill said individuals made their own decisions about how they donated to political parties and decision-makers in government were not aware of those donations.

"If you look at a range of those corporations, they also made substantial donations to the Liberal Party, often in much larger sums than the sums that they donated to the Labor Party," Mr Weatherill said.

"People make their own decisions on how they want to support the democratic process."

New donation laws on the way

New laws to improve donation transparency will come into effect during July.

Mr Weatherill said the Labor Party had wanted them in place before last year's election but "our opponents did not".

"I think disclosure of donations should occur in a timely fashion before people make their decisions at elections so they can make judgments about those matters and that's how we want it," he said.

Mr Marshall disagreed with the suggestion his party did not want political donation reform.

"I think that's an extraordinary claim from the Premier," he said.

"I'd like him to provide some evidence that the Liberal Party didn't want the electoral reform.

"We've been talking about electoral reform in South Australia for an extended period of time and the Government has never wanted to take a seat at the table."