IAB Australia has announced that it has begun drafting guidelines for the application of auto-refresh on sites.

The guidelines, which are being drafted in collaboration with the Media Federation of Australia and Australian Association of National Advertisers and measurement providers such as Nielsen Online, are expected to be published at the end of March 2010.

According to a press release from IAB Australia, the association’s initial position is that site-set refresh rates are assessed for reasonableness based on the refresh rate and the nature of the content being refreshed.

The IAB says the review acknowledges the importance of providing agencies and clients who are buying advertising on these sites more detailed information to help them make informed buying decisions.

The announcement comes as IAB Ausralia introduces Caroline Laux as its new marketing coordinator.

“Caroline joins the IAB at an exciting time, as the industry continues to grow despite the recent GFC. More and more advertisers are seeking information to support their growing investment in online advertising as it rapidly becomes the medium of choice for them to reach, engage and influence consumers,” said IAB Australia CEO Paul Fisher.