An urgent inquiry into the treatment of retired racehorses has been ordered by the Queensland government, less than a week after an ABC report alleged widespread acts of animal cruelty against racehorses.

Last week the 7.30 program showed graphic images of horses being beaten, kicked and shocked with electric prods while they lay dying in abattoirs, and raised questions about the racing industry’s claims about its rehoming program for racehorses.

“This was deeply disturbing, horrendous footage and I was just as appalled to witness it,” premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament on Tuesday.

The inquiry will be headed by retired district court judge Terry Martin SC, with the support of Australian Veterinary Association representative Dr Peter Reid and oversight from the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission.

“It is a necessary inquiry to provide Queenslanders with confidence that the racing industry is doing everything possible to ensure the welfare of horses,” Palaszczuk said.

“Animal welfare is everybody’s responsibility and my government will not stand for cruelty to animals.”

It will look into regulatory and oversight arrangements for the management of retired racehorses and for the operation of facilities accepting horses for slaughter.

How well existing processes for detecting, assessing, mitigating and prosecuting breaches of the welfare of retired racing horses, including those from other states, will be examined, as well as models in other states and potential changes to the tracking and welfare of retired horses.

It comes amid an ongoing investigation into the treatment of horses at the Meramist Abattoir in Caboolture.

The racing minister, Stirling Hinchliffe, said plans for a forum to look at racing horses and their post-career lives were underway before the ABC report aired last week.

That forum has now been brought forward to Tuesday afternoon.