Manildra employs about 300 people at its plant in Bomaderry.

Diary disclosures reveal Manildra representatives including chairman Dick Honan secured the meetings in the 15 months before cabinet backed changes to require small petrol retailers to sell an ethanol blend, E10, for the first time.

They show Premier Mike Baird and Energy Minister Anthony Roberts met with Manildra on February 24 last year, shortly before the March 28 state election, after the company poured $35,000 into NSW Liberal Party coffers duringthe previous nine months.

Mr Roberts had four other meetings with Manildra before the election – one of which saw him take a tour of an ethanol plant – and one immediately afterwards.

Election funding authority records show the overwhelming majority of the donations were made to the NSW Liberals' federal election campaign account, where the state-based caps of $5000 a year to parties do not apply.

Deputy Premier and NSW Nationals leader Troy Grant had seven meetings with Manildra representatives before and after the state election as the company donated $120,000 to the Nationals' federal and NSW divisions via state and federal campaign accounts.

Again, the bulk of the donations went to the federal campaign account, which is not subject to strict NSW political donations caps.

More recently, Better Regulation Minister Victor Dominello, who introduced the legislation on Wednesday, met with Manildra five times since June last year.

The minister also held a meeting with stakeholders – but not Manildra – in December, shortly before he announced the intention to change the law.

Manildra met with Opposition Leader Luke Foley last February and Mr Honan met with him last June and on February 12 this year.

During 2014-15, Manildra donated more than $53,000 to federal Labor and almost $8000 to NSW Labor and NSW Country Labor.

The NSW Greens have previously pointed out that Manildra, Australia's largest ethanol producer, has donated $4.3 million to the Liberals, Nationals and Labor since 1998.

In NSW, major retailers must try to ensure ethanol accounts for 6 per cent of all petrol sold, via the E10 blend, while retailers owning fewer than 20 sites are exempt.

Despite this, ethanol accounts for only about 2 per cent of all petrol sold in NSW.

The government's legislation is expected to require smaller retailers to sell E10 for the first time to reach the 6 per cent mandate.

Mr Dominello has said there will be exemptions and it is understood the changes are not targeting "mum and dad" petrol station owners, but smaller operators who might sell large volumes.

But the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association (ACPMA) warns that small retailers will be forced to increase the price over three years to recoup the cost of equipment upgrades.

However, the NRMA has welcomed the reforms, arguing they will lead to cheaper petrol.

A Manildra spokeswoman said the company has "never sought or had any expectations on returns to our contributions to public or charitable organisations".

A spokesman for Mr Baird said he and all ministers "regularly meet with a range of stakeholders and all such meetings are publicly disclosed".

A spokeswoman for Mr Grant said "all donations are handled by the NSW Nationals head office and have no bearing on the Deputy Premier's decision to meet with any particular stakeholder."

Mr Foley said the donations had not influenced his approach to ethanol, but noted the ALP had supported the mandate for more than a decade. Shadow cabinet had yet to decide its position on the legislation.

Jul 3, 2014

Donation to NSW Nats - Fed $24,300

Jul 3, 2014

Donation to NSW Nats - State $5,700

Aug 29, 2014

Donation to Federal Nats $44,000

Aug 31, 2014

Donation to NSW Libs $2,750

Aug 31, 2014

Donation to NSW Libs $182

Sep 10, 2014

Meeting with Energy Minister Anthony Roberts

Sep 10, 2014

Meeting with NSW Nationals leader Andrew Stoner

Sep 28, 2014

Donation to NSW Libs $1500

Sep 28, 2014

Donation to NSW Libs $11,000

Oct 7, 2014

Meeting with Roberts

Oct 20, 2014

Donation to NSW Libs $15,000

Oct 23, 2014

Meeting with NSW Nationals leader Troy Grant

Nov 2, 2014

Donation to Federal Nats $3,054

Nov 11, 2014

Donation to NSW Nats - State $600

Dec 9, 2014

Meeting with Grant

Dec 17, 2014

Meeting with Roberts

Jan 9, 2015

Donation to NSW Labor - State $2,000

Jan 21, 2015

Donation to NSW Labor - State $1,000

Feb 1, 2015

Donation to Federal Nats $1,074

Feb 3, 2015

Donation to NSW Libs - State $360

Feb 9, 2015

Donation to NSW Labor - South Coast Labor $195

Feb 10, 2015

Meeting with Roberts

Feb 11, 2015

Donation to NSW Libs $3,000

Feb 23, 2015

Donation to Federal Labor $16,500

Feb 24, 2015

Meeting with NSW opposition leader Luke Foley

Feb 24, 2015

Meeting with Premiere Mike Baird & Roberts

Mar 1, 2015

Donation to NSW Libs - State $1,000

Mar 10, 2015

Donation to NSW Libs - Kiama state electorate council $1,090

Mar 10, 2015

Donation to NSW Libs - Shellharbour state electorate council $2,000

Mar 28, 2015

NSW Election

Mar 31, 2015

Donation to Federal Nats $12,500

Apr 21, 2015

Meeting with Roberts

May 1, 2015

Donation to Federal Labor $1,525

May 11, 2015

Donation to NSW Libs $11,000

May 19, 2015

Meeting with Grant

May 20, 2015

Donation to NSW Nats $30,000

Jun 10, 2015

Donation to NSW Labor - State $550

Jun 13, 2015

Meeting with Grant

Jun 18, 2015

Meeting with Minister for Innovation and Better regulation Victor Dominello

Jun 24, 2015

Donation to Federal Labor $27,500

Jun 30, 2015

Manildra chief Dick Honan meeting with Foley

Jul 17, 2015

Meeting with Grant

Jul 22, 2015

Meeting with Dominello

Aug 28, 2015

Meeting with Dominello

Sep 8, 2015

Meeting with Grant

Oct 19, 2015

Meeting with Dominello

Oct 20, 2015

Meeting with Grant

Oct 28, 2015

Meeting with Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair

Nov 11, 2015

Meeting with Dominello

Feb 12, 2016

Dick Honan meeting with Foley

smh.com.au