The Kelvin Trimper Scholarship aims to support an individual or an organisation to build their knowledge or to research innovative ideas and or initiatives that will improve outcomes for consumers in the Australian energy sector, with a focus on consumer advocacy and delivering better outcomes for customers.
Kelvin Trimper AM – was an urban development manager and leading South Australian horticulturist who, at his passing, was an important consumer advocate for SA Power Networks customers.
Kelvin had a significant role in improving vegetation management around powerlines, working for many years with SA Power Networks, government agencies, local councils and the horticulture sector to balance community safety and environmental outcomes. More recently, Kelvin played a notable role in supporting SA Power Networks to engage with communities across South Australia and giving consumers a real voice in planning for our energy future through his role as Deputy Chair of our Community Advisory Board and Chair of our Reset sub-committee.
Kelvin was an incredibly dedicated member of our customer and community reference groups over many years and was highly regarded and respected by all. He gave thousands of hours to influencing better outcomes for customers and the community and is hugely missed by those who worked with him.
Kelvin passed away on 7 January 2024. A scholarship has been established by SA Power Networks and the ECA to honour his legacy, both to us as a business and for the work he did on behalf of the South Australian community. It recognises the importance of fostering advocates in the energy sector, to deliver better outcomes for customers and supporting future advocates striving for better customer outcomes.
On Thursday 19 February, at the ECA Foresighting Forum in Sydney, the Inaugural winners of the Kelvin Trimper scholarship were announced.
After a strong field of applicants, we’re proud to announce the inaugural 2025 scholarship recipients:
- Alex Fry – Showcasing Opportunities in SA
Alex will work collaboratively with stakeholders to showcase what can be done to improve the energy performance of an ordinary home—helping to reduce costs and make the home more energy efficient.
- Bernie Barrett, Better Renting Ltd – Building Capacity for Policy Design and Implementation
Bernie’s scholarship will support training to build capacity within Better Renting, helping them become more effective advocates to improve outcomes for energy users in South Australia.
For the inaugural announcement Alex Lewis announced the winners and was accompanied by Melanie and Kirsty Trimper, his wife and daughter
SA Power Networks acknowledges the multiple Traditional Owners of the lands that host the South Australian electricity network and their connections to land, sea and community. We would also like to pay our respects to Elders past and present, and acknowledge that these are living cultures.
