Due to Vanessa Bleyer being selected to replace Senator Whish-Wilson in the Senate, she retired from the law on 30 June 2026.

Vanessa started Bleyer Lawyers in September 2007. It became a leading public interest law practice in Australia. Through Bleyer Lawyers, Vanessa:

• achieved the first permanent injunction to stop native forest logging in Australia in 2010, for threatened species habitat at East Gippsland in Victoria.
• secured the first permanent injunction to stop logging of native forest in Tasmania in 2025, for threatened species habitat in southern forest.
• ran many Court cases that lead to the end of the proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill in Tasmania.
• represented animal rights organisations to combat illegal cruelty to non-human animals in slaughterhouses.
• ran cases against Greyhound racing in Tasmania, one of which lead to the end of a proposed Greyhound racing track at Wesley Vale in Tasmania in 2024.
• ran cases that achieved injunctions to stop unlawful evictions of long terms residents at a caravan park in Tasmania from 2024 to 2026, that lead to protective legislation for long term residents of caravan parks across Tasmania.
• represented countless individuals who had been criminally charged for protesting against native forest logging in Victoria and Tasmania, for decades.
• commenced Federal Court proceedings against environment Minister Murray Watt in 2025 for his decision around expanding fish farms at Macquarie Harbour that will likely lead to the extinction of the endangered Maugean Skate. This case continues after her retirement from the law.
• ran tribunal and Supreme Court proceedings to stop the proposed wind farm at Robbins Island in Tasmania, being a site of Aboriginal cultural heritage significance and global geological signifiance, and which will likely lead to the extinction of the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot. She commenced Federal Court proceedings against Minister Watt in 2025 for his decision to approve the wind farm at the federal level. This case continues after her retirement from the law.

Vanessa intends to continue to achieve outcomes for the protection of our natural environment and for social justice, in the Senate for Tasmania for the Greens.