A greyhound racing industry body could take legal action against a state government over its plan to phase out the sport.
As part of a deal to form minority government following a state election, Tasmania's Liberal government in August 2025 pledged to introduce legislation to end the industry by 2029.
But the proposed laws have been in limbo since April, when the government stopped debate in the upper house because it appeared set to lose the vote.
No date for the bill's return to parliament has been outlined, but the government maintains public funding for the sport will end in 2029 irrespective of the legislation.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff, who wrote a letter of support to the code prior to the election, has been lashed by the greyhound racing industry for backflipping.
The move to remove the industry without legislation would be an inappropriate use of government power, Greyhounds Tasmania's Luke Gatehouse told a parliamentary committee.
State-owned entity TasRacing oversees greyhound racing and is lawfully required to promote and regulate the sport, Mr Gatehouse said.
"We're in possession of interim legal advice that such action may well expose the government to legal remedies," he said on Wednesday.
"Not that we want to go down that path, we want to work with the government for this industry to continue."
Mr Gatehouse didn't elaborate further about what legal action the government could potentially face.
The ACT is the only Australian jurisdiction to have banned greyhound racing.
The code copped a blow when it was recently announced the long-standing Wentworth Park venue in Sydney would close earlier than expected in October to make way for green spaces.
Mr Gatehouse said he wanted to find a "constructive resolution" with the government and would push for a scenario in which the sport could continue if it could be self-sufficient.
The hearing was told there had been 104 injuries recorded to dogs in Tasmania since January, as per information in stewards' reports.
When asked if there was an acceptable level of deaths and injuries in racing dogs, Mr Gatehouse said "in a perfect would it would be zero, but we don't live in a perfect world".
Senior Liberal minister Bridget Archer said the government was committed to phasing out the industry but wouldn't comment on whether the Liberals had secured the numbers in the upper house to pass the legislation.
"We believe that it is outside of community expectations and needs to end," she told reporters on Tuesday.
"We've seen shocking reports from these hearings about the deaths of dogs."
