Attorney-Metadata laws passed:General Senator George Brandis.Credit:Andrew Meares
The latest suite of national security legislation passed the upper house on Thursday evening with bipartisan support.
The government believes the laws,which allow about 85 security and policing agencies to access two years of an individual's metadata,are crucial to thwart terrorism attacks and prevent serious crime.
The scheme is expected to cost up to $400 million a year,but the government won't reveal its share until the May budget.
A government-commissioned review found the scheme would cost about $3.98 per customer each year if no taxpayer assistance was provided.
Metadata includes the identity of a subscriber and the source,destination,date,time,duration and type of communication.
It excludes the content of a message,phone call or email and web-browsing history.