Sept 4 (Reuters) - Australian shares climbed on Monday ahead of a likely pause in interest rate hikes by the country's central bank, while lithium miner Liontown Resources jumped after its board backed a revised $4.3 billion bid from Albemarle.

The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.8% to 7,337.5 by 0049 GMT after a 0.4% fall on Friday.

The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 4.10% on Tuesday as inflation shows signs of easing, according to a Reuters poll of economists, who do however largely expect a final hike next quarter.

Miners jumped 1.8% to touch their highest level since Aug. 11, tracking gains in iron ore prices.

Shares of Liontown Resources rose 11.5% after the lithium developer's board backed a refreshed A$6.6 billion ($4.26 billion) bid from Albemarle Corp, the world's biggest lithium producer.

Mining heavyweight BHP Group said it had received approval from a Brazilian court for a reorganisation plan for its Samarco joint venture, sending its shares up as much as 3%.

Energy stocks rose 1.5% to hit their highest level in two weeks. Santos added 1.6%, while Woodside Energy inched up 1.4%.

Banks logged a 2% gain. The "big four" banks added between 0.2% and 0.6%.

Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 0.3% to 11,497.24.

Shares of SkyCity Entertainment Group dived 14.6% after news that the country's Department of Internal Affairs applied for temporary suspension of the casino licence of its SkyCity Casino Management unit.

(Reporting by Poonam Behura in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)