Indian mining giant Adani donated $200,000 to the Liberal and National parties in the month after it secured federal approval for its controversial Carmichael coal mine.

Adani Mining and its subsidiary Carmichael Rail Network donated $247,300 to the Coalition during the 2018-19 financial year, data released by the Australian Electoral Commission on Monday revealed.

The coal export facility at Abbot Point. Supplied

On April 5, $12,500 was donated to the Liberal Party; that was four days before then-Environment Minister Melissa Price signed off on the groundwater management plans for Adani's central Queensland mine.

Another $100,000 was donated to both parties in the month after Ms Price gave final federal approvals to the mine.

Under pressure from her Queensland colleagues, Ms Price gave Adani the green light two days before the election was called.

If the plan was approved during the caretaker period, the government would have been forced to consult Labor before granting permission.

The mine became a crucial issue across Queensland in the lead up to the May 18 election with Labor's attempts to "walk the tightrope" blamed for the party's thumping at the polls.

Adani made no donations to the federal Labor party last year.

Unlike in Queensland where every donation of $1000 or more must be published online within seven days, at a federal level only donations worth more than $13,200 are required to be disclosed and they are published annually.

Donations can also be made in multiple small payments to stay below the reporting threshold.

Mining magnate Clive Palmer's company Mineralogy spent more than $83 million on his failed bid to be elected to the senate.

Mr Palmer's wife, Anna, also donated $330,000, according to the annual AEC disclosures.

His other company - Palmer Coolum Resort - contributed $103,499 to the party.

Despite the biggest ever spending splurge in Australian political history, Mr Palmer failed to get a single candidate elected at last year's federal election.

The total disclosed money that flowed to the Liberal and National parties topped $51 million while Labor disclosed $49.9 million.

Donations to the two major parties are much more on par at a federal level than in Queensland.

Analysis by Brisbane Times last month showed since July 1, about 70 per cent of all declared donations to Queensland political parties went to the LNP.

- with Anthony Galloway