A TOWNSVILLE business owner has been denied bail after police allegedly busted him in a car with 280g of methamphetamine, worth up to $100,000, at Rockhampton on Monday.

Nathan Aaron Turner, 32, appeared in Rockhampton Magistrates Court yesterday on eight charges - one for the meth, another for possession of cocaine, two digital scales, a knife in a public place, two obstructing police, one receiving tainted property and one of stealing.

The court was told police came across Turner at Yabulu, 25km north of Townsville, in a vehicle with no number plates.

He and the other male in the car drove off from police, resulting in one of the obstructing police charges. Next, police intercepted a Toyota Landcruiser driven by a female with a restricted licence at a service station on Gladstone Rd, Rockhampton, at 3.30am.

The court was told Turner, who was on bail for 11 drug and weapons charges currently before the Townsville courts, was in the car along with a child.

Magistrate Jeff Clarke said the driver, who told police they had driven from Gin Gin, declared the knife when police first spoke to them.

He said a search revealed a pipe, small amounts of meth and cocaine, along with two digital scales.

Mr Clarke said the pair then tried to run away ahead of a further search of the vehicle.

"The defendant tried to grab a bag police had located and tried to run away," he said.

The court was told police detained Turner while opening the bag to find six clip seal bags containing 280g of crystal meth. Police then searched Turner's home and found an all-terrain vehicle belonging to Ergon Energy.

Defence lawyer Rowan King said Turner owns and operates Rollingstone Rural Services, which has three major contracts in the Townsville region and employs four people.

He also financially supports six children.

Turner's Townsville matters will be next mentioned on November 6 and his Rockhampton charges have been adjourned until December 5.