Leanne O'Neill
Partner
E: loneill@ajandco.com.au M: 0481 010 463 P: 07 3708 0917
Few lawyers in Queensland have shaped the laws they now practise under. Leanne has.
Through senior legal roles inside the Queensland Government, she was directly involved in developing, drafting and implementing the majority of Queensland's land use regulatory frameworks. That background gives her an understanding of these regimes that simply cannot be replicated. She continues to influence regulatory reform today through advisory work with the Queensland Government and active roles on industry committees.
The result for clients is transformative. Leanne has guided landmark projects across renewables, mining and resources, water security infrastructure, large-scale residential and industrial developments, and carbon sequestration. She is a proven litigator in the Land Court, Planning and Environment Court, National Native Title Tribunal and Federal Court, with precedent-setting cases to her name. And when litigation looms, she is just as skilled at making sure it never happens.
Leanne manages complex projects from inception to delivery, covering every dimension of land use, regulatory compliance and commercial contracting.
One adviser. Full lifecycle. No gaps.
Memberships
Queensland Law Society (MQLS) Committee Member
Queensland Law Society Mining and Resources Law Committee
Former Committee Member UDIA Queensland Planning & Environment Committee Member
Queensland Environmental Law Association
Energy Resources Law Committee for the Energy Resources Law Association
Awards
The Best Lawyers in Australia™ Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Government Practice, Native Title Law 2026
Recognised – Australasian Lawyer’s Elite Women 2022 and 2023
Finalist – Partner of the Year Awards (New Partner of the Year) – Lawyers Weekly 2021
Finalist – Partner of the Year Awards (Planning and Environment) – Lawyers Weekly 2022
Leading Lawyer in Government Practice – The Best Lawyers in Australia (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
Featured Insights
EPBC Act Reforms | 5-Minute Overview
Major changes are underway with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act). These changes will have sign...
Areas of Expertise
Litigation
Native Title & Cultural Heritage
Mining, Resources & Renewables
Agribusiness & Land Management & Use
Compulsory Acquisitions & Valuations
Recent Presentations
Event name | Presentation Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Energy and Resource Law Association | Risk and Land Assets | May 2026 |
| QELA Conference 2024 | Our Future, In Focus - Renewables and Sustainability | May 2024 |
| 8th Annual Agribusiness Law Conference - Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach | Getting the most bang for your buck: Maximising land value through carbon credit trading. Flicking the switch: Renewable energy arrangements in the spotlight. | May 2024 |
| Property Law Conference | Crucial land use regulatory compliance matters for property lawyers | 2024 |
| TEN Webinar - CO2, ACCU, ERF | Going Beyond the Acronyms – A Lawyer's Guide to Carbon Farming, ERF and ACCU scheme | April 2024 |
| Legalwise | 10 Points in One Day Conference - Key risks & crucial regulatory compliance related to land all lawyers must be aware of | March 2024 |
| 7th Annual Agribusiness Law Conference | Carbon Credit Farming: What Lies Ahead? | May 2023 |
| Legalwise Native Title Forum | Co-Existing Native Title Party Commercial Operations with Pastoral Leases after a Native Title Determination | June 2022 |
| Property Law Seminar QLD | The Diversification Dilemma: Managing risks associated with Environmental Offset and Carbon Projects | March 2022 |
| TEN Webinar | Making Hay While the Sun Shines: Essential Terms for Solar and Wind Energy | January 2022 |
| CGW Webinar | ‘Related Persons’ liability under the Environmental Protection Act (Qld): Chain of Responsibility Provisions | March 2021 |
| QELA Regional Intensive | Are our Planning and Environmental Laws Stifling Regional Development? | October 2019 |
Qualifications
Bachelor of Laws, University of Queensland
Bachelor of Arts (Honours), University of Queensland
Graduate Diploma of Professional Legal Education and Training, University of Queensland
Admissions & Jurisdictions
Admitted to practice in the High Court of Australia and Supreme Court of Queensland
Regularly appears in the Federal Court of Australia, National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT), Land Court, and Planning & Environment Court