The new system will allow emergency services to track the location of 111 callers without their consent.

Emergency services will automatically trace the locations of 111 callers under new rules set to be put in place by the Privacy Commissioner.

Call centres for police, fire and St John Ambulance were previously able to request the information from telecommunications company, but the process was slow and manual.

Under the new rules, emergency responders will be able to quickly track the locations of callers without going to the telco.

The new system will use GPS services on smartphones - even if these are turned off - and cell tower information available for all cellphones.

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GPS services are more accurate. Callers will not be charged in any way for the data transferal.

It does not require a warrant or the consent of the caller, so the Privacy Commissioner John Edwards had to amend the privacy rules to allow it.

Previously telcos could refuse to provide the location data if they believed doing so would be in breach of privacy laws.

In 2016 police noted more than 1800 incidents in which they had to make a special request to telcos for location information. More than a million emergency calls are transferred to emergency services every year.

Coroner Ian Smith called for more co-operation between telcos and emergency services in 2013 after a man who had called 111 died after emergency services could not determine his location.

Edwards said robust rules would make sure the location data was only used for emergency locations and that the data would not be held.

"This system does not require individual consent, so I have required robust transparency and accountability obligations. I want the public and the agencies using this system to have confidence in it."

Police would not be able to use the data for any investigative purposes, and it would be deleted within around 30 minutes.

The new rules comes into effect from March 2.

The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, who will administer the system, have not yet planned when it will actually launch.