Sirrom is returning to PNG with bold plans to support resources projects through tailored logistics, hospitality and community partnerships.
For decades, Sirrom Corporation has been synonymous with dependable hospitality, logistics and accommodation services in some of the most remote and demanding environments.
Now, the Australian-based company is refocusing its efforts on Papua New Guinea (PNG), a region it believes is poised for a new era of growth in the mining and energy sectors.
Originally founded in Brisbane in 1967, Sirrom has built a global reputation through bold international ventures, including catering operations for United Nations (UN) troops in Cambodia and feeding over 35,000 soldiers in Iraq over an 11-year span.
Back home, the company steadily grew into one of the top five providers of remote accommodation in Australia, servicing over 40 mining camps across Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
“Our business thrives on doing hard things,” Sirrom chief executive officer Craig Madigan told PNG Mining.
“We are a company that is comfortable being uncomfortable – operating in difficult terrain, with complex logistics, and making meaningful investments in local communities.”
Sirrom’s history with PNG dates back to its early work at the Napa Napa oil refinery near Port Moresby.
During that time, the company not only delivered high-quality services, but also laid the foundation of local engagement, developing memoranda of understanding (MoU) with landowner groups and fostering partnerships with local businesses.
Sirrom is now set to bring its hallmark ‘home away from home’ hospitality model back to PNG, specifically designed for remote and logistically complex resources environments.
While each project is unique, the fundamentals remain: mobilising strong leadership, hiring and training local employees, and supplementing local supply chains where necessary.
“We have an operating model, but every location is logistically different and has its own workforce and community considerations,” Madigan said. “They key is to approach them all like they’re different and not use a cookie-cutter approach.”
Sirrom’s strategy centres on four key pillars: early engagement with landowners through MoUs, joint ventures (JVs) with local businesses and landowner groups, subcontractor agreements with community-based enterprises, and a strong emphasis on direct local employment and supply chains.
These pillars aim to ensure that economic benefits remain in PNG and that communities feel a sense of ownership and pride in the projects unfolding.
“The biggest success comes from investing as much energy and time as possible into a building a strong, well-trained local workforce,” Madigan said. “It builds ownership in the project, it’s harmonious, and it’s rewarding for both the workers and their communities.”
Looking ahead, Sirrom sees immense opportunity in PNG’s untapped potential.
“PNG has incredible mineral and energy resource wealth,” Madigan said. “As the country works to bring those resources to market, we see ourselves as a partner that can sustain the workforces needed to get it done.”
From the rugged Highlands Region to the coastlines near Lae, Sirrom’s flexible model is designed to adapt.
And with a track record of going where others won’t, and doing what others can’t, Sirrom is ready to help shape PNG’s resources future – one camp, community and workforce at a time.
This feature appeared in the June–July 2025 issue of PNG Mining.
