Residents who witnessed an alleged machete attack on the streets of Wacol, west of Brisbane, have described the moment neighbours came to a woman's defence armed with brooms and wheelie bins.

Police were called to Monterey Street in Wacol just before 8:00am, with reports a man had rammed a woman's car.

The man was then believed to have chased the woman on foot, armed with a machete.

Police said the woman received non-life-threatening injuries to her head and neck during the incident.

She is being treated in Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The man, a 51-year-old from Acacia Ridge, has since been charged with one count each of attempted murder, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, going armed so as to cause fear and common assault.

He is due to appear in Richlands Magistrates Court tomorrow.

Family members of the woman at the centre of the attack told the ABC she and her three children moved to Australia as refugees five years ago from Somalia.

They said the woman met her alleged attacker after she arrived in Australia and they had recently broken up.

A neighbour, known as Jennifer, said she heard the screams first.

The woman is being treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, while the man is assisting police with inquiries. ( ABC News )

"A non-stop, loud scream like bloodcurdling screams," she said.

"He had the machete in his right arm. It was just going down, down, down, down, down.

"And the woman, he was cutting the woman and she was curled up on the ground trying to protect herself. But it didn't help, it was just cutting her. He was cutting her.

"She wasn't even screaming for help. It was just screams, sheer terror. I'm sure she thought she was going to die."

Another neighbour, Russell, said he was woken by car tyres screeching.

He saw his father rushing to help the woman.

"I got out of bed, quickly rushed back to have a look and my dad's running down the street with a wheelie bin attacking some dude because he's attacking his wife with a machete," he said.

Wacol resident Russell saw his father rushing to help a woman who was allegedly attacked with a machete. ( ABC News )

"And then they were backwards and forwards across the street.

"I seen him [the alleged offender] hit her in the shoulder and she fell flat onto the road there and then I seen him come up and hit her in the side with it. In the ribs there with it until other people across the road come over ... took her over there to comfort her."

Russell said the whole episode was frightening.

"He's with a big machete like that. Walking, chasing her trying to swing it at her and everything," he said.

Brian Farley's wife was the woman who ran to the injured woman's rescue while other neighbours were trying to distract the man.

He said his wife was just leaving for work when he heard what sounded like a car accident.

"I came rushing out, looked on the patio, noticed this man running around, chasing this lady with a machete with intent, it appeared to be," he said.

"Very nasty. The lady came screaming up the road trying to get away still. My wife ran out to the road to her and brought her back to safety."

He said they brought the woman into their garage.

He told his son that if the man came closer he was to shut the door. His wife helped calm the injured woman.

"[She was] hysterical. [Could] barely walk. Shaking terribly. Bleeding, a lot,'' he said.

"I was horrified for what was happening in our street."