A senior New South Wales government minister last year warned rules intended to protect koalas in the state would be “ineffective” if rural areas were excluded as it would mean about 80% of land was exempt.  The advice was given in a letter sent in August last year by the planning minister, Rob Stokes, to the deputy premier, John Barilaro.  On Monday, the NSW Liberal and National parties announced they had agreed to new rules for koala protections after a dispute over koala policy last year threatened to split the Coalition.  Under the changes, rural land zoned for primary production or private forestry will be carved out from a new koala state environmental planning policy (Sepp) that will come into force this year.  The government said the new Sepp would apply to land on which more than 95% of development applications were made.