Holly Conroy decided to get her gender reassignment surgery done overseas as it was more viable than in Australia. Photo: Chris Roe.
Wagga residents have expressed frustration at the lack of transgender medical services in town, with the closest gender affirming surgery located three hours away in Canberra.
The Riverina has a growing transgender community – people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.
They may want to change their gender, such as by taking medication to alter their hormonal balance or through surgery to change their physical appearance or sexual characteristics.
But gender affirming surgery can cost between $20,000 to over $100,000 in Australia in 2025, with prices even higher for those in regional areas who have to travel long distances to access the treatment.
Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras founder Holly Conroy started transitioning more than eight years ago. She said she was looking at costs upwards of $30,000.
After breaking down the costs, Ms Conroy chose to transition overseas.
“Including air fares and accommodation, it was half the price if I did it in Thailand, even though I was there five weeks,” she said.
“It’s cheaper, better quality hospitals, better doctors.
“There are no transitioning services in Wagga. There’s obviously doctors that you can go to, who will then refer you to probably Canberra or Sydney.
“There are some doctors here in Australia who do an amazing job.”
Region asked Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) if gender affirming medical treatments, including reassignment surgery and related care for transgender people looking to transition, were provided at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, or if these surgeries would be available at the hospital in the future.
The MLHD refused to answer these questions, instead providing a generic statement.
“NSW Health is committed to providing the best possible care and support for trans and gender diverse people and their families across NSW. Supporting the health needs of trans and gender diverse people in NSW is a priority area under the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy,” a spokesperson said.
“While most gender affirming surgeries are performed privately, NSW Health in partnership with non-government organisations provides individuals with information and support to make informed choices about their care.”
Ms Conroy said there wasn’t a lot of information available in the Riverina when she started her transition in 2017. A Google search led her to Canberra for GP appointments.
“It was a big cost, especially when you take fuel and things like that into account,” she said.
“It’s just at the time, I’m not sure exactly what services there are in Wagga.
“Once I had my surgery, it was about a year or so later when I had a bit of a complication.
“I needed to know what my options were and Thailand’s a long way to go just for a check-up.
“So I rang and tried to get into the hospital and no-one would see me. They just kept saying that I have to go back and see the doctor who did the surgery.
“That’s how I actually came across Dr Kieran Hart in Canberra. He was able to sort me out, but I had to do all the research myself. It just wasn’t very accessible.”
There’s only a handful of surgeons in Australia that offers gender-affirming surgeries, with most concentrated in metropolitan hubs.
Gender-affirming surgery is not limited to vaginoplasty (creation of a vagina) and phalloplasty (creation of a penis). It includes a variety of procedures, such as breast augmentation, facial feminisation and vocal chord surgery.
With reforms to medical privacy and advertising laws in 2023, which prevents Australian surgeons from advertising their services publicly, it has become even more difficult for transgender people looking for information on these procedures.
TransHub has mapped the doctors in NSW who will prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or offer counselling services for transgender people, with the closest doctor to Wagga a 90-minute drive away in Albury.
The map does not provide information on surgeons who will perform gender reassignment surgery.
While accessibility remains a problem for the transgender community in the bush, Ms Conroy believes the cost of transitioning is the biggest problem.
“Most transgender people find it really hard to get work, which means they’re not earning the money, which means they can’t afford the surgery,” she said.
“Quite often, you’ll find that trans people didn’t transition until they are in their 40s, 50s or 60s, when they’ve got their retirement fund.”
Wagga residents looking to start HRT also need to look outside their town, with Albury being the closest destination.
