Murarrie residents logged more calls about road damage than any other suburb in Brisbane’s east during a record five-day pothole repair blitz, with 39 potholes fixed across Murarrie and Hemmant combined as crews tore through more than 1,800 repairs citywide.
The “Big Fill” operation ran from 19 to 23 May, triggered by heavy rain on 18 and 19 May that opened fresh potholes across Brisbane’s 5,700-kilometre road network. At its peak on 21 May, crews filled 565 potholes in a single day, more than three times the usual daily average of 157. At that rate, a pothole was being filled somewhere in Brisbane every two minutes.
Murarrie generated 20 customer reports during the campaign, the highest contact rate of any suburb across Brisbane’s east. Hemmant added another 10 reports. Combined, the two suburbs saw 39 potholes filled across the five-day period, with Murarrie accounting for 32 of those repairs.
Why potholes appear after heavy rain
The damage pattern from mid-May’s wet weather follows a well-understood sequence. Water enters small cracks in the road surface during rainfall, weakening the pavement structure underneath.
Potholes repaired during the “Big Fill” blitz (May 19–23)
| Suburb | Number of Potholes Repaired |
|---|---|
| Wynnum West | 84 |
| Gumdale | 67 |
| Murarrie | 32 |
| Wakerley | 13 |
| Ransome | 13 |
| Chandler | 12 |
| Wynnum | 9 |
| Hemmant | 7 |
| Manly | 5 |
| Manly West | 4 |
| Total | 246 |
Heavy vehicles then fracture the weakened surface from above, opening a pothole that can appear seemingly overnight after a single downpour.
Roads that carry significant freight and industrial traffic, as many of Murarrie’s arterial streets do given the suburb’s mix of warehousing and logistics operations, tend to deteriorate faster under this cycle than quieter residential streets. The damage concentrates at the edges of wheel tracks, where repeated load impact is greatest.
Customer reports received during the blitz
| Suburb | Number of Customer Reports |
|---|---|
| Murarrie | 20 |
| Tingalpa | 14 |
| Hemmant | 10 |
| Wakerley | 9 |
| Wynnum West | 8 |
| Manly West | 7 |
| Chandler | 6 |
| Wynnum | 6 |
| Lytton | 4 |
| Manly | 4 |
| Gumdale | 3 |
| Lota | 1 |
| Ransome | 1 |
| Total | 93 |
The heavy rain of 18 and 19 May came on top of an already active repair season. Brisbane had filled 47,645 potholes city-wide between January and the end of April alone, and the mid-May event added more than 1,800 to that total in just five days. Around 100 tonnes of asphalt was used during the blitz.
The broader picture across east Brisbane
Across all east Brisbane suburbs combined, 246 potholes were fixed during the Big Fill period. Wynnum West led the Bayside area with 84 repairs, followed by Gumdale with 67. Murarrie ranked third across the east with 32 repairs.
Summary
| Metric | Number |
|---|---|
| Total potholes repaired citywide during blitz | 1,800+ |
| Record repairs in one day (May 21) | 565 |
| Bayside potholes repaired | 246 |
| Bayside customer reports | 93 |
| Resident reports citywide | 1,134 |
| Asphalt used | 100 tonnes |
| Potholes repaired citywide by end of April 2025 | 47,645 |
| Average daily repairs before blitz | 157 |
Tingalpa generated 14 community reports during the campaign, the second-highest in the area after Murarrie’s 20. Wakerley, Wynnum West, Manly West, Chandler and Wynnum all recorded between six and nine reports each, while Lytton, Manly, Gumdale, Lota and Ransome added smaller numbers to the total.
The community reporting made a measurable difference. More than 1,134 reports came in across the city during the five-day operation, helping crews locate and reach damaged roads faster than standard patrol schedules allow. The Big Fill was described as the largest pothole repair operation Brisbane had ever conducted.
How to report a road problem
The repair blitz has ended, but the reporting line remains open. Potholes and road surface damage can be reported around the clock by calling 3403 8888 or by lodging a request online.
Published 8-June-2026
