The planters, members of the Extinction Rebellion climate protest group, donned gorilla masks to hide their identity as they challenged governments to prioritise tree planting and retention.

Organiser Chris Barker says the status quo on climate change was "suicidal".

"We aim to demonstrate and encourage, creative, constructive and nonviolent resistance to the dominant culture which is pretending we can carry on as normal with just a few small changes to the way we live," Dr Barker said.

"We call on the residents of the Illawarra to get active and show intelligent and creative dissent to the current suicidal status quo."

XR member Ian Miles said the trees would be cared for so they could thrive.

"We have sourced and planted native trees which are endemic and appropriate to the sites selected," Dr Miles said.

"The major political parties and the powerful business interests they represent have consistently neglected and destroyed the local environment in the name of economic development - this is totally unacceptable and now threatens the very viability of life on the planet," he says.