Broadmeadows Opens 24/7 Startup Hub With $14.3M Investment

Broadmeadows now has its first 24-hour innovation hub. StartNorth, a dedicated coworking and startup space run by Hume City Council at Level 12, 2 Dimboola Road, operates around the clock, seven days a week [1][2]. It sits directly across from Broadmeadows Railway Station and Broadmeadows Central [1][2]. For local professionals, freelancers and anyone looking to break into tech, that changes the calculus on where to base a business.

The timing matters. A $14.3 million government investment package includes $7 million specifically to refurbish the Broadmeadows Town Hall into professional office space for startups and community use [4][5]. That money signals that the public sector sees Broadmeadows as a genuine tech-employment corridor, not just a commuter suburb. Job seekers who want to stay local rather than travel into the city every day now have a concrete alternative.

Jobs, membership and a targeted accelerator

StartNorth has already helped local businesses create 22 new jobs [3]. Membership at the hub grew from 20 to 50 after an Innovation Festival, according to council data [3]. Those aren't huge numbers yet, but they represent real headcount in a neighbourhood where tech employment has historically been thin.

Hume City Council also received a $46,000 LaunchVic grant to run an accelerator program for up to 15 migrant and refugee-led startups based at StartNorth [8]. That program is a direct pipeline into the local workforce. For professionals looking to hire, it means a pool of founders and early employees who are already embedded in Broadmeadows. For job seekers from migrant and refugee backgrounds, it provides a structured entry point into the startup ecosystem without having to commute to the central business district.

Practical next steps for workers and professionals

The refurbishment of Broadmeadows Town Hall, funded by that $7 million tranche, will create professional-grade office space specifically for startups and community groups [4][5]. No completion date has been announced, but the investment is live now. Professionals looking to relocate their business or start a new venture should monitor Hume City Council's planning updates for when that space becomes available.

For now, StartNorth is the operational hub. It is open 24/7, meaning shift workers, night-owl coders, and anyone who needs flexible hours can use the facility [1][2]. The building is at 2 Dimboola Road, Level 12, directly opposite the railway station and the shopping centre [1][2].

No new funding rounds have been announced beyond the existing LaunchVic grant. But the combination of round-the-clock coworking, a targeted accelerator, and millions in government office investment makes Broadmeadows a neighbourhood worth watching for anyone serious about the local tech job market.