The State Government yesterday introduced the legislation making it illegal to commercially perform piercing on areas such as nipples, navels and genitals for people under 18 years of age.

Other piercings such as ears, known as non-intimate piercing, will become illegal for youths under 16 years of age without parental permission.

Tattooing a minor could also incur a penalty of up to $6600 under the legislation.

Mr Drum, who introduced the idea of controlling body piercing through law in a Private Member’s Bill last August, said he was yet to see the new Bill, but was happy it had kept the distinction between intimate and non-intimate areas.

“This is essentially about the dangerous and non-dangerous areas,’’ Mr Drum said.

Although Mr Drum said his Private Member’s Bill had always been about a public health issue, he found it disappointing the government had not paid credit to the work the Nationals had done on the Bill.

“When I introduced the Bill the first response I got from the government was it was not a priority,’’ he said.

The piercing industry at the time also accepted the controls proposed by Mr Drum, saying it would help to rid the industry of unprofessional and backyard piercers.

The Australian Dental Association also supported the Bill.

Association president John Matthews said registered piercers needed to follow proper infection control procedures to avoid the inherent risks in oral piercing, which included infection and blood poisoning.