Public hearings into the cause of Australia's equine influenza (EI) outbreak are unlikely to begin for several weeks, the retired judge chairing the inquiry says.

Ian Callinan said his inquiry would focus on finding the source of the disease, and making recommendations to help prevent another outbreak.

He said he expected it would take several weeks to assemble the necessary material to hold the inquiry, which would be based in Sydney and have similar powers to a royal commission.

Public inquiries would not be held for "some weeks", he said.

"I don't like long inquiries, I've been in long inquiries, and I would hope to make it as quick as possible," Mr Callinan said.

The disease was discovered in a stallion at Sydney's Eastern Creek quarantine centre on August 23 and spread through Queensland and NSW, forcing the cancellation of the Sydney spring racing carnival.

Limited race meetings in both states are set to resume this week, although the public will not be allowed to attend most races.

Restricted racing in Queensland will resume at the Gold Coast on Wednesday and metropolitan Eagle Farm at the weekend, while in principle permission was granted to race at Sydney's Warwick Farm on Saturday, though involving only those horse domiciled there.

The planned Warwick Farm racing, which still hinges on formal approval from authorities, comes despite the infection situation worsening across NSW.

A total of 835 horses on 119 different properties in NSW are now confirmed to have EI while almost 3,000 horses on 319 properties are suspected to have the virus.

Of the 700-strong racehorse population at Sydney's Randwick stables more than half are now believed to have the virus.

The NSW government has extended a ban on the movement of horses in the state for at least another week due to the outbreak.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP