The outdoor ground-level spaces, which will be free to use, represent an increase of 15 per cent and will not hinge on the byelection result.

Mrs Skinner, supported by Nationals candidate for Orange Scott Barrett, believed they would alleviate the parking problems.

“It was [based on] a survey of the requirement for parking spaces and the available space to put these in,” she said.

The first 77 spaces will be added along the golf course boundary and along the internal road network where people have already been parking illegally – they will be constructed in partnership with the council and will be available early in the new year.

The council first offered the 77 spaces in December last year, but the idea was rejected due to maintenance concerns.

Mrs Skinner could not confirm why the state government had changed its mind, although she was aware people were opposed to paid parking.

“I don’t think we were announcing our definite opposition to that, we were considering it while we looked at all of the options,” she said.

The second round of 83 spaces is still in the design phase and the location is yet to be confirmed, however it will serve the oncology and ambulatory care departments.

The state government will start construction mid-next year, pending approval.

Mrs Skinner earlier met with the Orange Health Service Medical Staff Council regarding the ongoing rift between clinicians and management.

She said discussions were “fruitful” but she did not indicate whether she would intervene on the staff’s behalf, saying the executive had her full support.

“I’m very impressed with how wonderfully this hospital is achieving for the patients and it’s about patients,” she said.

“There was agreement to be much more collaborative,” she said.

She emphasised there was no change in the decision not to release the number of patients affected by chemotherapy underdosing from Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data and dismissed a question on whether the public had a right to know.

“If people have further questions to ask, they can go to the inquiry or indeed there’s a number they can ring,” she said.