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Premier Steven Miles has defended his use of government jets for a three-day trip across regional Queensland, which is estimated to have cost hundreds of thousands in taxpayer money. The premier and Police Minister Mark Ryan took off in two separate taxpayer-funded jets from Brisbane to Townsville to make a number of crime prevention announcements on Monday. According to public flight tracking data, the planes took off again that same day, landing in Cairns just nine minutes apart. On Tuesday both jets flew back to Brisbane, then back to Cairns before stopping in Townsville. They then stopped off in Hervey Bay before arriving to Brisbane within 20 minutes of each other. At a press conference today Miles was questioned as to why the pair didn't travel together. "Today I am in Cairns, I'll be in Townsville later in the day, it just would not be possible to have done that without the planes," he said. "I make no apologies whatsoever for being in Townsville as often as I am, or Cairns as often as I am talking about community safety." His deputy, Cameron Dick, backed the decision to use Queensland Government Air (QG Air), insisting commercial flight times didn't fit scheduling and the ministerial travelling party was too big for one aircraft. "It depends on the aircraft available, and that's the truth," Dick said. Both jets returned to the air today, taking off from Brisbane and landing in Cairns before flying to Townsville and then back to Brisbane. While the premier was tightlipped about the cost of the chartered jets, quotes from similar providers sourced by 9News puts one jet at $4500 per hour and the other at $6000 per hour. That means the three-day trip could have cost the taxpayer about $209,000. The trip comes after Queensland parliament legislated ambitious new emissions targets that include 75 per cent emissions reduction by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2050. FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, celebrity and sport via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.