Naomi was introduced as the daughter of established character Sheila Canning (Colette Mann) after producers decided they wanted to explore her background further.

O'Reilly worked closely with the producers, the costume and make-up departments to find the right look for Naomi, whose style she described as sassy and "quite sexual".

Naomi and her storylines received mostly positive attention from viewers and critics, with one dubbing her "the best new character of the last few years" and another calling her "a breath of fresh air".

[4][9] Before her arrival, O'Reilly said Naomi was "a lot of fun", but she would be hiding some secrets and it would be interesting to see the lengths she would go to in order to keep them hidden, particularly from her mother.

[5] Executive producer Jason Herbison told Sarah Ellis from Inside Soap that he thought Naomi's type of character – a "classic, troublemaking vixen, who underneath it all is just deeply insecure" – had been missing from Neighbours for a few years.

[15] However, the painting was given to her by Charles Tranner (David Whiteley), the married man she had an affair with, and his wife, Polly (Michelle O'Grady), soon turns up to reclaim the artwork.

"[5] Shortly before Naomi's first scenes were broadcast, Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy reported that she would test one of the show's established relationships by setting her sights on a married man.

[3] Ryan Moloney, who plays Toadfish Rebecchi, previously hinted that his character might be tempted by another woman and it was later confirmed that Naomi would develop feelings for Toadie.

[19] When asked whether the tension between Sonya and Naomi would continue to be explored, O'Reilly explained that things between them would remain awkward for quite some time, but she hoped that the characters would become friends, as she wanted to share more scenes with Morey.

[21] The storyline was devised to accommodate O'Reilly's two-month break from filming in order to perform her one-woman show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

[20] Upon her return, Georgia Brooks (Saskia Hampele) learns that Naomi had been in Melbourne instead of Hawaii and Toadie accuses her of sending Sonya poison-pen letters.

[23] Alison Gardner of What's on TV noted that they were both on the rebound, as Naomi is getting over her crush on Toadie and Josh has recently broken up with Amber Turner (Jenna Rosenow).

[23] O'Reilly thought the development was good for both characters, commenting "I think it's quite nice for Naomi to have someone who wants to kiss her back, but I think she's enjoying it for purely shallow reasons.

"[11] O'Reilly said the scenes in which Josh and Naomi have sex in a hotel elevator were not awkward to film, as Bonner's sense of humour made the shoot fun for her.

[23] In November 2014, Naomi is reunited with her older brother, Gary Canning (Damien Richardson), after he decides to extend his stay in Erinsborough to reconcile with Sheila and Kyle.

[26] Naomi is angry with her mother's "blatant favouritism" of Gary and urges him to reveal the truth about his past and the reason why he abandoned his family.

[27] Needing a new job, Naomi decides to start her own events business, and takes on the role of organising the local Christmas carols in Lassiter's Complex.

[34] When Paul is informed that his body is no longer responding to the chemotherapy, he starts putting his affairs in order and shows a vulnerable side to Naomi.

[35] Paul and Naomi eventually embark on a relationship, but are faced with problems early on when she interferes in his family business by contacting his estranged daughter, Amy Williams (Zoe Cramond).

[38] Naomi instantly has second thoughts and when Paul wants to tell everyone, in the hope that it might boost his mayoral position, she asks him to keep their engagement a secret.

[39] The day after her exit aired in Australia, it was confirmed that O'Reilly had permanently left Neighbours to pursue new career opportunities after the birth of her daughter.

[41] Of her exit, Herbison commented, "The Neighbours audience fell in love with Naomi instantly and we have certainly left the door wide open for her to rejoin the Cannings in the future – Sheila wouldn't have it any other way.

"[42] O'Reilly believed that Naomi had "a really wonderful Neighbours redemption story" and that her departure means that she has "found genuine friendships and loyalties along with her own life and her own career.

"[43] O'Reilly told a writer from 10Play that she enjoyed working with Mann, Milligan, McGregor, Bonner, Dennis, Morey and Moloney the most and that a word to sum up her time on the serial was "good" as "the fast pace at Neighbours really helps you hone in on[sic] your process and make something happen.

[44] O'Reilly told Sarah Ellis of Inside Soap that Kyle contacts Naomi when he becomes worried about Sheila's state of mind, as she has started talking to a bird.

Ahead of Naomi's on-screen introduction, Rebecca Lake of TV Week said it was about time the show got "a new vixen" and thought she looked like quite a "sexy character".

[51] While Stephen Downie from TV Week quipped, "The romance between Josh and Naomi has a use-by date but, much like the couple, we're willing to enjoy this ride while it lasts.

[54] Barrett quipped "Spoilt, bratty, kooky, sexy Naomi hasn't been in Ramsay Street for long, but she's definitely made her mark!".

"[54] A reporter for The New Zealand Herald stated "business savvy, attention commanding, bossy; Naomi was a woman who knew what she wanted and always put herself first.

[57] During his review of the show in 2014, Kilkelly praised O'Reilly's addition to the cast, saying "Naomi has also been a breath of fresh air as a character who will push the boundaries just that little bit more than many of her neighbours!