"If everyone took matters into their own hands and behaved like that, Dargaville would probably get flooded."
Dan Porter, who milks 200 cows on 100ha in Paradise Rd downstream from the Beattys, lost his farm's main water supply when the flood swept away his pump shed.
"We've had 60 per cent of our best flats under water for six days and it's left a hell of a mess. It's gut-wrenching to say the least."
Mr Porter considered Mr Smeath's stopbank cut was taking liberties at the expense of others.
"He could get a $1000 fine while saving $60,000 by draining his place.
"We're all in the same boat trying to make a living from farming land we know floods. The people up there [in the Hikurangi Swamp] know rules are rules and it's their water which comes down to flood our farms."
However, Mr Smeath said cutting the stopbank had not exceeded swamp resource consent flood discharge limits and an independent hydrologist, Philip Wallace, had confirmed cutting the stopbank had no impact downstream.
Mr Wallace told the Northern Advocate data on the Northland Regional Council website indicated there had not been an impact, but "I haven't looked at the situation in any detail".