Thanks Steffen.
To anyone else trying to resolve this issue there are a couple of things to take note of:
1. Make sure you're using Internet Explorer for import and export of configurations. Using other browsers did not work for us.
2. For those people looking to remove the US type of formatting eg the auto adding of a 3 digit area code (012) 1232 etc goto your web configuration -> Utilities -> Import & Export Configuration. Click on "Export Configuration", then click "All Configuration (except Device Settings) from the drop down and click the Export button. Edit this file (we used Notepad++) and add the following line:
up.formatPhoneNumbers="0"
Save the file and then on the same web configuration page under Import Configuration, select the new file you just saved and import it. The phone will reboot and you will no longer have the US formatting for numbers.
3. For those in Australia looking to remove the default Emergency number as 911 and change this to 000 - follow the steps above to export your "All Configuration (except Device Settings)" file. Edit it and add the following lines:
dialplan.1.e911dialmask="112;106" dialplan.1.e911dialstring="000" dialplan.routing.emergency.1.value="000"
Thanks to http://community.polycom.com/t5/VoIP/VVX-series-phones-dialing-number-before-number-is-fully-entered/td-p/72526 for the tip.
Steffen just as a note we are running in the Generic mode (SIP). So maybe in this mode the Emergency is by default set to 911 and the only way to change it was via the settings above. I saw on the boards other people speaking of the same issue.