NSW Police has confirmed the skeletal remains found on the state’s far north coast two weeks ago belong to missing Nimbin woman, Thea Liddle, who has not been seen since October last year.

Thea Liddle, a 42-year-old microbiology graduate, was last seen in the Mooball area, north of Byron Bay, in northern NSW on October 31. On November 4, Liddle left her ex-partner's property on Tweed Valley Way in Mooball.

The former partner had recently been released from hospital, according to police, and Liddle "being the big hearted person she was", went to check in on him from a campsite near Nimbin.

Her family, who live in Queensland, reported her missing in January, prompting a large scale investigation into her disappearance.

Thea Liddle was known to live a nomadic lifestyle, camping at various locations in the Northern Rivers, which made it difficult for authorities to know where to start their investigation.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the breakthrough came in June when Thea Liddle's smartphone data was analysed. From the phone tower her phone activity last "pinged" from, police created a search arc.

Combined with local insight, police started a two-day search for campsites in the scrub and sand dunes skirting the Byron Bay coastline. Officers from the Tweed/Byron Police District, the Public Order and Riot Squad and the Dog Unit joined forces for an extensive two-day search of bushland near Tallow Beach Road, Byron Bay, on July 14.

On November 15 at 1.20pm, near Tallow Beach and in the shadows of the lighthouse, officers stumbled across a tent. There also was luggage, women's clothing, a library card, mail and a milk carton with the use by date November 7, 2019. Police officers also discovered female human remains. 

The human remains were identified as Thea Liddle last week.

NSW Police said Thea Liddle’s relatives had been informed of the developments and her remains would be returned to her family.

State Crime Commander Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said investigators from the Tweed and Byron Police District had been reviewing their initial investigation into Thea Liddle's disappearance under the unsolved homicide framework when they identified information about the Byron Bay bushland where she may have been residing.

"As a result, a coordinated search was conducted of the area and human remains were located, which were then analysed by forensic experts at NSW Health Pathology," he said.

"It is this coordinated approach – both within the (police force) and with our partner agencies – that is seeing answers provided to more families and, in many cases, far quicker than we ever have before."

The discovery comes ahead of Missing Persons Week, an annual national campaign beginning on Sunday that raises awareness about the issues and impact surrounding missing people.

Tweed and Byron Police District Commander Superintendent Dave Roptell said the circumstances of Thea Liddle's death remained under investigation.

"While the positive identification of these remains is a good result for (detectives) it is also devastating news to Thea’s family and friends," he said.

"We are urging anyone in the community who may have seen or spoken to Thea in late October or early November last year, in and around the Far North Coast, to please come forward."

When Thea Liddle's remains were found last month, Superintendent Roptell said the woman had lived a "very transient lifestyle".

"Shifting from place to place, changing campsites often and would opt for places in remote bushland away from the public," he said.

"It wasn’t uncommon for Thea to travel throughout the Far North Coast."