The statistics have been dubbed as "harrowing" by Wagga women's health experts with fears the rise cannot be dismissed as a result of increasing encouragement to come forward.

The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research recorded a 71.2 per cent rise in reported sexual assault incidents over the 24 months to December 2020 in Wagga alone, with the Riverina seeing a 34 per cent jump overall.

Wagga Women's Health Centre's Julie Mecham said there was a fine line between seeing reporting as a positive versus a negative.

"First and foremost, prevention is key," she said.

"But having the courage and strength to report that, and to have those reports believed and properly addressed is also important."

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Ms Mecham said while it was fantastic to see women feeling safe enough to report the offence, more questions needed to be asked.

"We aren't seeing whether or not these reports are historical or current, which could tell a lot about whether reporting is playing a role or whether the incidents are actually on the rise," she said.

"We also haven't heard of any increase in legal ramifications for perpetrators, be it charges or convictions for those sexual assault cases."

Consent needed to become more of a focus in addressing the issue, according to Ms Mecham, who said there were concerns around what the word meant to different people.

"It worries me regarding what a perpetrator feels is consent, and if they're just working simply on complied consent without taking into account that a consenting partner can withdraw that consent at absolutely any time," she said.

"I think a lot of this understanding would be benefited from informing children and young people on what consent looks like.

"It doesn't need to be anything that is not age appropriate, but even as simple as educating a child on not to put their arm around another child if that person does not agree, and the fact they need to and can speak up if they are uncomfortable with something."

The topic of consent came to a head this week after NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller suggested there be an app to log an individual's sexual consent.

The idea was met with an onslaught of criticism by members of the public, raising concerns over withdrawal of consent or coercion into consenting being used against a victim.

Ms Mecham did not dismiss the concept entirely, but said there were risks to consider.

"There definitely are those red flags around withdrawing consent and using it against someone, but I also think that if someone has the willingness and thought to download an app purely to get consent, they are generally the ones who already accept the worth of consent," she said.

"It's almost like singing to the choir."

One positive to come from the app idea, according to Ms Mecham, was the fact it "planted the seed for discussion about explicit consent".

In a press conference, Commissioner Fuller addressed the media and said while he still believes the app has potential, it was more about beginning the discussion.

"This is the single criminal problem we are really struggling with," he said.

"I don't expect an app to fix it overnight ... it's more about the way we feel about [consent], the way we talk to our kids about it, the way we talk to our neighbours about it."

However, Commissioner Fuller did reiterate his logic behind how technology could help drive down sexual assault incidents.

"A number of matters we see on this involve the victim being impaired in some way, or nearly unconscious," he said.

"It's pretty hard to make a statement on an app or sign something in that state, and for the jury to accept that under those circumstances.

"Obviously that is not every case, but it is a lot. I would hope that it stops people going into the justice system, because the justice system doesn't seem to be helping the offender or the victim.

"We're failing both ways."

Finding a solution to sexual assault was the root of the idea, according to Commissioner Fuller, who said despite the criticism, no one had suggested it "isn't a worthy issue to fight for".

"... the app may never see the light of day, but I hope this means we do talk about consent again," he said.

Whatever the solution may be, Wagga Family Support Services' child and adolescent sexual assault counsellor Serena Graham said the impact was too great to not find one.

"The impact of trauma can be profound for survivors, and particularly with a child, the impact is beyond them," she said. "It's families and whole communities impacted."

But for those still impacted, Ms Graham said there were a number of factors to keep in mind.

"For somebody supporting a survivor, it's imperative that they believe the person, that they support whatever choice that person makes, and encourage them to find support," she said.

"It is not the support person's job to decide whether or not they believe it, it is to listen, show compassion and just be there for the survivor."

Ms Graham reminded the community that support was available, and it was essential to seek professional advice if unsure of what to do.

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