Leanne O'Neill
Partner
Leanne brings over 24 years of specialist expertise in land use, management, and regulatory compliance across key industries including renewables, mining and resources, major infrastructure, and agribusiness.
She advises ASX-listed companies, government bodies, and private clients, drawing on her unique experience in developing and implementing much of Queensland’s land use legislation during her time in senior legal roles with the Queensland Government.
Leanne is known for guiding major projects - from masterplanned communities to renewable energy and agricultural diversification - through complex regulatory frameworks. A seasoned litigator in the Land Court, Planning and Environment Court, and Federal jurisdictions, she prioritises strategic, front-end solutions that avoid court where possible.
Her holistic, lifecycle approach ensures projects are delivered on time, on budget, and with minimal disruption - maximising value for landholders, developers, and proponents navigating land with competing uses.
Areas of Expertise
Litigation
Native Title & Cultural Heritage
Mining, Resources & Renewables
Agribusiness & Land Management & Use
Compulsory Acquisitions & Valuations
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
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
Awards
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)
Recent Presentations
Event name | Presentation Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |