One of the key people behind Queensland’s environmental policies is also a manager in the coal sector.

The dual positions held by James Mackay have been labelled a disgrace, “corrupt” and a “conflict of interest” by outraged environmentalists.

Details of Mr Mackay’s joint interests come as global warnings are issued over Australia’s treatment of the Great Barrier Reef.

Mr Mackay was effectively given as a gift to the Queensland Government from QCoal, one of the state’s large coal firms.

He was accompanied by a $120,000 donation to the Liberal party just before the 2012 state election, wherein Anna Bligh was ousted in favour of the LNP’s Campbell Newman

Now the Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman says that his state is “in the coal business”.

This is evidenced by the presence of the coal industry executive at the helm of the state environment and heritage protection committee.

Mr Mackay leads the committee which develops policy for discussion at the Liberal party's annual conference, including the terms of the government’s assault on “green tape”.

Since Mr Mackay’s appointment, the Queensland Government has come out with a number of environmental policies which have angered authorities and activists around the world.

Mr Newman says that if people want new schools and hospitals, they will accept the royalties from coal mining.

Reports say environmental investigations have been degraded to a point where they are barely needed before a project is approved, and there are almost no follow-up checks to ensure companies are doing what they promised.

Some projects, including freshwater stream diversions, have been approved without any new or amended environmental impact assessment, despite being classed as carrying “risk of serious harm”.

Several recent decisions have favoured the coal industry over clear risks to environmental assets.

The most reported of these has been the decision to approve the expansion of the Abbott Point coal port terminal, for which the government approved the dumping of around three million tonnes of dredge spoil sediment into a protected marine park near the Great Barrier Reef.

The United Nations has called on Australian governments to reconsider its approval, saying the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is too important to risk for cheap profit.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation has sent draft recommendations on the reef to the World Heritage Committee, saying e federal government did not properly assess alternatives to the dumping.

“With a view to considering, in the case of confirmation of the ascertained or potential danger to its Outstanding Universal Value, the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger,” UNESCO said.

UNESCO'S concern is shared by thousands of Australians and hundreds of leading scientists.

Despite the clear warnings of the risk of choosing coal over environmental protection, the Queensland LNP is fine with the placement.

A party spokesperson said there was “no conflict of interest involving Mr Mackay, who has disclosed his employment with his company”.

Queensland laws force independent lobbyists to register details of their companies and clients, but there is no requirement for “in-house” lobbyists or employees to register.

The LNP is also about to introduce new rules to remove the upper limits on political donations and raise the threshold for the disclosure of individual gifts.