A police commissioner has shouldered the blame for an interstate helicopter trip after a respected retired detective declared it risked significant ramifications.

Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush has apologised for using a force chopper to travel from Melbourne to Hobart on Monday for a meeting with his counterparts from New Zealand and around Australia.

A trip on a commercial airline between the two cities takes about an hour and there are about a dozen flights a day.

Mr Bush conceded the decision was wrong and said the "buck stops with me".

The Kiwi insisted the trip on a back-up chopper used for training did not risk public safety or burden taxpayers with extra operating costs, but admitted his reasons for taking it "don't stack".

"This doesn't pass the pub test and I'm parti

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