Asia‐Pacific Journal of Public Administration RESEARCH ARTICLE Understanding community to engage community: using qualitative research techniques in local government community engagement Andrew Hickey a*, Paul Reynolds b and Lisa McDonald c a School of Arts and Communications, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia; b Toowoomba Regional Council, Toowoomba, Australia; c Australian Centre for Sustainable Business and Development, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia. Research Article submission for the Asia‐Pacific Journal of Public Administration. Dr Andrew Hickey* Senior Lecturer‐ Cultural Studies and Social Theory School of Arts and Communications University of Southern Queensland West Street, Toowoomba Queensland, Australia 4350 andrew.hickey@usq.edu.au 61 7 46 31 2337 Mr Paul Reynolds Executive Manager‐ Corporate Services Toowoomba Regional Council Herries Street, Toowoomba Queensland, Australia 4350 paul.reynolds@toowoombaRC.qld.gov.au 61 7 46 88 6973 Dr Lisa McDonald Mid‐Career Research Fellow Australian Centre for Sustainable Business and Development University of Southern Queensland West Street, Toowoomba Queensland, Australia 4350 lisa.mcdonald@usq.edu.au 61 7 46 87 5868 * Corresponding Author Acknowledgments This work was supported by an Australian Centre for Excellence in Local Government (ACELG) Partnership Grant. We acknowledge our indebtedness to ACELG for providing this funding and enabling the project from which this article reports to proceed.