The West Catlins Preservation Society was set up to oppose the wind farm, a 55-turbine development set to provide power for up to 150,000 homes.
It was refused resource consent by a panel this week but power giant Contact Energy had said it would continue with the project.
Society spokesman Dean Rabbidge said his group was not surprised by the energy firm’s response, saying it had been "arrogant" and "inconsiderate" throughout the whole process.
"If only they could generate power from arrogance, it’d be happy days for them, wouldn’t it?" he said.
He said when he heard the wind farm consent application was declined, the landowners responded with "cautious optimism" as they knew the company would appeal the decision.
While it is important to look after the native flora and fauna, Mr Rabbidge said the group was disappointed that neither the Environment Protection Authority’s report nor Contact’s submission showed consideration for the community of people living nearby.
"We are the forgotten partners in this," he said.
"We’re the ones that have got to live here in the aftermath and our kids have got to live in the aftermath for a long time to come."
The potential negative effects listed by the farmer were the destruction of the "outstanding" natural landscape, the noise and lights at night — all on the doorstep of Catlins Conservation Park.
He said he believed the area had been chosen for its low population density and the proposal would get much more opposition in bigger cities such as Auckland or Christchurch.
He wished the energy company would just accept the decision of the EPA, as it was an expert in this field and knew what was best for the environment, he said.
Mr Rabbidge said they felt like they had won the battle but were still fighting a war.
