MELBOURNE, March 8 (Reuters) - Australian shares are poised to open higher on Tuesday, buoyed by mining and energy stocks, after iron ore prices surged to an eight-month high and oil prices topped $40 a barrel for the first time this year. Local share price index futures rose 0.6 percent to 5,160.0 to sit at a 17.2-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark jumped 1 percent on Monday to a two-month high. Mining company BHP Billiton is poised to open around 5 p
