How medicalcentre-au.org/ Uses Cookies and Similar Technologies
This page sets out the cookies and similar technologies we use, what each does, how long it lasts, and the choices you have under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles, the Spam Act 2003 (Cth), and the Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth). Read it alongside our Privacy Policy.
What is on this page
1. What Cookies Are
Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites you visit. Similar technologies include local storage, pixels, and SDKs. They allow a website to remember your preferences, keep your visit working smoothly, measure usage, and (when you consent) support personalised advertising. This page covers all of these technologies under the general term “cookies.”
Under the Australian regulatory framework, cookies that collect personal information are governed by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Australia does not have a specific “cookie law” equivalent to the EU’s ePrivacy framework, but APP 3 (collection), APP 5 (notification), and APP 6 (use and disclosure) apply where cookies are linked to personal information. The OAIC publishes guidance at oaic.gov.au.
2. Why We Use Cookies
- To make the site work — load pages, remember your cookie preferences, protect against form-submission abuse
- To remember your preferences — state preference, font-size choice, accessibility preferences
- To understand what is useful — aggregated, anonymised analytics on which directory pages are read most
- To support display advertising — frequency capping and basic measurement, with personalised advertising only where you have consented
3. The Four Categories of Cookie
1. Strictly necessary
Essential for the site to function. Always on; cannot be switched off.
2. Functional
Remember preferences (state preference, font size, accessibility settings). On unless you opt out.
3. Analytics
Aggregated usage measurement. Off by default; switched on only with your prior consent.
4. Advertising
Frequency capping, measurement, and personalised advertising where you have consented. Off by default.
4. First-Party Cookies (Set by medicalcentre-au.org/)
| Name | Purpose | Category | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
| mcau_consent | Records your cookie-consent choice | Strictly necessary | 12 months |
| mcau_session | Maintains page-load state during your visit | Strictly necessary | Session |
| mcau_csrf | Cross-site request forgery protection on contact form | Strictly necessary | Session |
| mcau_pref | Stores accessibility / UI preferences (font size, state preference) | Functional | 6 months |
| mcau_gpc | Records that we received your Global Privacy Control signal | Strictly necessary | 12 months |
5. Third-Party Cookies
Where you have given consent, the site may set cookies from these third parties. Each has its own privacy and cookie policy.
| Provider | Purpose | Category | Policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 (GA4) | Aggregated site analytics | Analytics | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Google AdSense | Display advertising; frequency capping; measurement | Advertising | policies.google.com/technologies/ads |
| Cloudflare | Site security, bot mitigation, performance (CDN) | Strictly necessary | cloudflare.com/privacypolicy |
6. Consent and the Australian Privacy Principles
We rely on consent for non-essential cookies where APP 3 or APP 6 requires it (most commonly for analytics and advertising cookies that may collect personal information). Our cookie banner asks for your consent to analytics and advertising cookies on your first visit. Strictly necessary cookies do not require consent.
The Spam Act 2003 (Cth) applies if a cookie were used to send a commercial electronic message; we do not use cookies that way. The Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth) contains provisions on access to information held by carriers; cookies set by our site are not covered by those provisions but we mention them for completeness.
Consent is recorded with timestamp and version of the policy in force, so that we can demonstrate compliance if the OAIC asks. The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 introduced reforms which we monitor for any cookie-specific implications as they commence.
7. Global Privacy Control (GPC)
The site honours the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal as a clear indication of opt-out preference. If your browser sends a GPC signal, we treat it as an opt-out from advertising cookies and from any handling of personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising. The OAIC and the Privacy Act framework recognise browser-level signals indicating user preferences as relevant to the validity of consent.
8. How to Manage Cookies
- Cookie banner — accept, reject, or customise on first visit
- “Cookie settings” link in the footer — change your choice at any time
- Browser controls — block or delete cookies in your browser settings (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Brave); block third-party cookies entirely if you prefer
- Private / Incognito browsing — cookies are deleted when the window closes
- GPC-enabled browser — Brave, Firefox (with extension), and DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser send a GPC signal automatically
9. Industry Opt-Out Tools
- YourOnlineChoices (DAA Australia) — youronlinechoices.com.au
- Google Ads settings — adssettings.google.com
- Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) — optout.networkadvertising.org
10. Do Not Track
The browser-level Do Not Track (DNT) signal is no longer supported by major browsers and the original DNT specification was never finalised. We honour the more current Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal in its place — see Section 7.
11. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We update this policy when our practices change or when applicable Australian law changes (the Privacy Act is currently undergoing reform). The “Last reviewed” date at the top reflects the current version. Substantive changes will be re-prompted through the cookie banner where applicable.
12. Contact
For any cookie or privacy question, email info@medicalcentre-au.org with subject line “Cookie enquiry” — see our Privacy Policy for the full APP rights framework, and our notes on complaints to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.
Manage Your Cookie Preferences Any Time
Use the “Cookie settings” link in the site footer to change your choice. Your decision is remembered for 12 months from when you set it.
📧 info@medicalcentre-au.org